Switzerland-based offshore drilling contractor Transocean has landed multimillion-dollar contracts and extensions in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Norway, Australia, and Brazil for seven floaters, encompassing four drillships and three semi-submersible rigs.
Based on Transocean’s latest fleet status report, the aggregate incremental backlog associated with two contracts and six extensions, which were obtained in Q2 2024, is approximately $656 million, putting the firm’s total backlog up to around $8.8 billion as of July 24, 2024. While the firm’s previous fleet status report was all about drillship deals, the most recent one shows more work for drillships and semi-submersible rigs.
Assignments for four drillships in Americas
Transocean’s Deepwater Atlas, the world’s first eighth-generation drillship with the 20,000 psi well control system upon delivery, has secured two new multi-well contracts in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico with Beacon Offshore Energy, which recently started production from a two-well oil project tied back to one of the spar platforms operated by Occidental (Oxy), former Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.
While the first deal is a four-well contract at a day rate of $505,000, with contingencies to perform three completions at the same day rate, the second one is a two-well contract for drilling operations at a day rate of $580,000 with contingencies to perform two 20K completions at a day rate of $650,000. This could keep the rig occupied up to January 2027.
With the capacity to accommodate a crew of 220, the 2022-built Deepwater Atlas drillship can work in 12,000 feet of water depth and drill to depths of 40,000 feet. Beacon booked the rig in August 2021 for drilling operations on the Shenandoah project, located 160 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Walker Ridge area of the Gulf of Mexico, thanks to a $252 million firm contract.
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Posted: 22 days ago
A 365-day contract extension for the Deepwater Asgard drillship will enable the rig to keep working for Hess Corporation in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico under a day rate of $515,000. This will keep the floater busy until June 2026.
The previous contract extension for the 2014-built drillship was disclosed in April 2024 for another 365 days with a day rate of $505,000. With a capacity to accommodate 200 people and a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 ft, the Deepwater Asgard ultra-deepwater dual-activity DSME 12000 drillship can undertake activities in water depths of up to 12,000 ft.
Petrobras has exercised a 279-day option in Brazil at a day rate of $366,000 for the Deepwater Mykonos drillship, which started its new contract with the Brazilian giant in October 2023. The rig’s previous assignment had also been with Petrobras in Brazil. With an Enhanced Samsung 10000 design, the 2011-built Deepwater Mykonos drillship can accommodate 205 people. While the rig’s maximum drilling depth is 35,000 ft, its maximum water depth is 10,000 ft.
The rig owner won a 40-day contract extension with an undisclosed operator for the Deepwater Invictus drillship in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The rig has another potential gig lined up in Mexico for 2026, as Transocean may designate by February 1, 2025, one of five drillships to this contract, including Deepwater Invictus, Deepwater Asgard, Deepwater Conqueror, Deepwater Proteus, or Deepwater Thalassa.
The commencement window is from February 1, 2026, to September 1, 2026. The 2014-built Deepwater Invictus DSME 12000 ultra-deepwater drillship can operate at 12,000 feet of water depth and drill to depths of 40,000 feet. This rig can accommodate 200 people.
More work for three semi-subs in Norway and Australia
Transocean Norge, the first semi-submersible rig that secured the Abate (Power+) notation, has obtained a three-well contract extension in Norway at a day rate of $517,000 with Wintershall Dea, which is slated to start in the first quarter of 2028 in direct continuation of the rig’s current program. The 2019-built Transocean Norge sixth-generation Moss Maritime CS60 semi-submersible rig was constructed at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore.
Last year, a one-well extension was also received from Wintershall Dea for the rig, which can accommodate 150 people and its maximum drilling depth is 40,000 ft. Thanks to a 17-well cont