Odfjell Drilling has suspended operations on its Deepsea Atlantic semi-submersible rig offshore Norway following an incident where the blowout preventer (BOP) fell to the seabed.

Incident Details

The incident occurred on 18 April during the running of the BOP, which subsequently dropped to a depth of approximately 1,100 metres. The BOP is a critical piece of safety equipment designed to contain unexpected flows and high pressures during drilling. No personnel were injured, and the rig is reported to be secure.

Response and Current Status

Operations on the rig have been suspended. The current focus is on recovering the BOP from the seabed and completing any necessary repairs. Investigations are underway to determine the root cause of the incident.

Rig Specifications and Contract

The Deepsea Atlantic is equipped with a Cameron Evo 15k BOP. The rig is under contract to Equinor until mid-2027, with options for additional work. Prior to this incident, the rig demonstrated high operational performance, achieving a 98.8% financial utilisation rate in the fourth quarter of 2025 while drilling two exploration wells, Sissel and Langemann.