French oil company Total has exercised a one-year option on the existing contract for the Vantage Drilling-owned jack-up rig Emerald Driller in Qatar. 

The one-year option will start in direct continuation during 2Q 2020 and includes an additional option year, Vantage said on Tuesday,

The rig owner signed the previous two –year extension for the Emerald Driller back in November 2017.

Ihab Toma, Vantage CEO, commented: “The Emerald Driller has performed superbly for Total Qatar and we are delighted with their confidence in Vantage and the Emerald Driller to work on some of their most extreme wells.”

According to Bassoe Offshore, the rig’s day rate under the new option will be $80,000. The option starts on June 1, 2020, and expires on June 1, 2021.

The Emerald Driller rig, of a Baker Marine Pacific Class 375, was built by PPL Shipyard in 2008.