A drilling rig owned by Brazilian services contractor Foresea has departed the Estaleiro Rio Grande (ERG) shipyard after completing an unprecedented 66-day maintenance operation in a dry dock.

Foresea, the renamed former drilling arm of local group Ocyan, took the drillship ODN I to ERG earlier this year to undergo cleaning, painting, maintenance, systems modernisation, pipe repairs and other services.

For the past two months, the 240-metre long drillship remained completely out of the sea at ERG in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state.

“The maintenance of the ODN I in a dry dock at ERG was the first of a rig of this class that has been reported in Brazil. We are very proud of the complex and planned work that we have done over the last few months,” said Foresea chief operating officer Heitor Gioppo.

The shipyard prepared the ground three months ahead of schedule to receive the ODN I.

The rig is now heading back to Rio de Janeiro, where it will remain for another month to complete a full systems review of thrusters and other equipment before starting a new charter agreement with Brazilian oil giant Petrobras.

ODN I is one of five drilling units in Foresea’s fleet. The company also has a contract to operate the semi-submersible rig Hunter Queen for Brazilian independent Prio.