UK supermajor Shell has contracted a heavy duty jack-up drilling rig from Valaris for a highly-anticipated two-well exploration campaign this summer in the UK’s southern gas basin.

Confirming the charter, Shell’s partner Deltic Energy said the rig Valaris 123 would drill the Selene wildcat on Licence P2437 and the Pensacola appraisal well on P2252 in a back-to-back campaign.

Commencement of Shell’s contract and mobilisation of the rig, which late last year completed its hire with ONE-Dyas offshore the Netherlands, is expected in June or July.