Norwegian drilling firm Odfjell Drilling has announced that it has reached an agreement with French giant Total to suspend proposed drilling work off the South African coast, due to ongoing uncertainties related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The two companies had originally agreed to begin drilling work in the second quarter of this year, using one of Odfjell’s Deepsea Stavanger drills, a facility designed for use in exploratory or development work, which can operate up to depths of three kilometres.

Read more about the impacts of Covid-19 on Total and Odfjell here.