Maersk Drilling has signed a contract with Aker Energy for Maersk Viking, an ultradeepwater drillship, to drill the Pecan-4A appraisal well offshore Ghana, the company said Sept. 25.

The contract covers one firm well with an expected duration of 30 to 35 days, with options for additional wells. The contract is expected to commence fourth-quarter 2018. Maersk Viking is currently warm-stacked in the Gulf of Mexico and will imminently commence its voyage to Ghana.

“Maersk Drilling is very pleased to support Aker Energy and its license partners, building upon our operational track record in Ghana and our strong relationship with the Aker Group. The contract for Maersk Viking marks our third rig operating in Ghana,” Morten Kelstrup, CCIO of Maersk Drilling, said.

Maersk Viking, which was built in 2014 with state-of-the-art facilities and systems, will perform the drilling at an ultradeepwater depth of 2,674 m (8,772 ft) in the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) block.

The contract is awarded by Aker Energy on behalf of the license group and as the operator of the DWT/CTP block. Aker Energy is the operator of the block with a 50% participating interest. Aker Energy’s partners are Lukoil (38%), Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (10%) and Fueltrade (2%).