Maersk Drilling names first ultra-deepwater drillship Maersk Viking

Maersk Drilling names first ultra-deepwater drillship Maersk Viking

GEOJE-SI, South Korea -- Maersk Drilling’s first ultra-deepwater drillship was named in a ceremony held at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in Geoje-Si, South Korea. Mrs. Nathalie Newman, wife of Mr. Harry E. Newman Jr., ExxonMobil Global Drilling Manager, had the honour of naming the drillship, Maersk Viking.

Maersk Viking is the first in a series of four ultra-deepwater drillships to enter Maersk Drilling’s rig fleet. The four drillships represent a total investment of $2.6 billion and will be delivered from the SHI shipyard in late 2013 and 2014. After delivery from the yard and mobilisation to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Maersk Viking will commence a three year contract with ExxonMobil. The estimated contract value is $610 million including mobilisation, but excluding cost escalation and performance bonus.

Maersk Drilling has been active in the GoM since 2009 with the ultra-deepwater semi-submersible Maersk Developer. With Maersk Viking and the second newbuild drillship, Deepwater Advanced 2, to enter the GoM, Maersk Drilling is becoming a significant drilling contractor in the GoM, which together with West Africa, are the target regions for Maersk Drilling’s deepwater activities.