Offshore rig roundup: Transocean gets contract extensions, Vantage marketing drillship, and ARO orders newbuild jackup
In this week's news roundup, Offshore covers the latest rig contracts and newbuild projects of the offshore drilling sector.
ARO orders newbuild jackup rig from IMI
International Maritime Industries (IMI) will construct a new jackup, KINGDOM 3, for Aramco Rowan Offshore Drilling (ARO Drilling).
This will the first drilling rig built in Saudi Arabia.
ARO Drilling also announced it has signed five MoUs for collaboration agreements at the recent IKTVA Forum & Exhibition 2025. They include an agreement with ASMO (Advanced Supply Management Operations), a joint venture between Saudi Aramco Development Co. and DHL, to explore opportunities for value creation in the supply chain.
Another MoU, with Seatrium Offshore Technology Arabia, covers rig maintenance and engineering support, ensuring the supply of component parts, and potential construction of rigs.
Transocean rigs gain contract extensions
Transocean has secured further work for three of its drilling rigs, the company said in a fleet status update.
Offshore India, the client has taken up a four-well option for Transocean Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1 at $410,000/d. In the Norwegian sector, Transocean Enabler will drill three more wells for the client ($428,000/d). While offshore Australia, Transocean Endurance will drill one further well for the client at $390,000/d.
These awards have lifted Transocean’s overall contracts backlog to about $8.3 billion.
Vantage marketing Dorado drillship
In Dubai, Vantage Drilling International has entered an agreement with Norwegian contractor Eldorado Drilling to market the 7th generation drillship Dorado for work offshore Africa, Asia, Australasia and in the Mediterranean Sea.
The vessel can operate in water depths of up to 12,000 ft.
TotalEnergies spuds Marula exploration well offshore Namibia
Northern Ocean’s semisub Deepsea Mira has spud the Marula-1X exploration well in the Orange Basin offshore southern Namibia. The TotalEnergies-operated well, in the southern part of Block 2913B, will target Albian sandstones within the Marula fan complex.
According to partner Impact Oil & Gas, the area is within the source rock kitchen for the Kudu gas field. Later this year, the rig will drill Olympe, another Albian prospect within a structural closure on Block 2912.
Recently, Deepsea Mira completed drilling and a drillstem test for the partnership on the Tamboti-1X exploration well, 25 km north-northwest of the Venus 12A well in Block 2913B. It encountered black oil in lower-quality Upper Cretaceous sandstones, part of the Mangetti fan system, before reaching total depth of 6,450m MD. Read more.
Noble, Shell ink $70M semisubmersible drilling rig contract
Noble has secured a new contract with Shell in the Americas for the Noble Developer semisubmersible rig, according to the company's Feb. 6 LinkedIn post. The contract is for a fixed duration of 180 days and is expected to begin in third-quarter 2026. The firm contract value is about $70 million including mobilization and demobilization. Read more.
Eni extends North Sea P&A arrangement for Well-Safe rig
Eni has taken up a further 90-day option for the Well-Safe Protector jackup for a P&A program in the Dutch North Sea. The rig, owned and operated by Well-Safe Solutions, has been decommissioning subsea and platform wells for Eni. The new term will start in direct continuation of the previously declared option, which began last November.
Once this latest option has finished, the rig will start work on another contract in the North Sea with Spirit Energy.
Under the arrangements, the Well-Safe Protector will be committed until at least August. Thereafter, Eni also has the option for 120 days of further work to decommission platform wells, plus two more 180-day options. Read more.
