Hyperdynamics Corporation, an independent oil and gas exploration company, has announced that it has signed a letter of award with drilling contractor Pacific Drilling to employ the Pacific Bora drillship to Guinea, Ecofin Agency reported.

Under the agreement, the rig is to be used for a drilling campaign offshore the Republic of Guinea during the second half of 2017, at the Fatala turbidite fan prospect. It also allows Hyperdynamics to extend the contract to include as much as three further follow-up wells at the same favorable terms and conditions, according to PR News Wire.

Hyperdynamics’s CEO and President, Ray Leonard, said: “the Pacific Bora recently completed a long-term contract for a major American multinational energy company offshore Nigeria.  The Pacific Bora is expected to arrive shortly before our target spud date for the Fatala 1 well.” He added that the company will avoid a rig mobilization charge due to the close proximity of the ship’s current location in West Africa.

The Pacific Bora is a sixth generation, double-hulled drillship constructed in 2010 with state-of-the art equipment that is capable of operating in 10,000ft water and drilling up to 35,000ft below the mudline.