Maersk Drilling moves in a different direction than other companies operating on the Norwegian shelf, where Maersk Drilling will need around 550 employees for four rigs in the years to come, CEO Claus V. Hemmingsen tells newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad, which has previously reported that 13,500 jobs in the rig sector are in danger due to cost reduction efforts in the sector.

But Maersk Drilling intends to stay put.

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"We have no regrets and we would do the exact same thing again. Our goal is to strengthen our position on the Norwegian shelf even though the current period is decreasing. This continues to be a strong strategy in spite of what we're now seeing in the industry," says Hemmingsen.

A total of four rigs have been custom built for the Norwegian shelf, one of which will be leased to Total, one to Det Norske, one to Statoil and the last one, set for delivery in 2016, will be chartered by BP.

"We need around 550 people to man the four rigs in Norway," says Claus V. Hemmingsen.

Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv also features the story, one of the few positive stories in the Norwegian offshore sector these days.

(Note: The figures in the Norwegian newspapers says 900, but Maersk Drilling has corrected the number to 550)

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