Woodside Energy, Wintershall Dea, Equinor extend offshore drilling contracts with Transocean for $161 million

June 04, 2024

(WO) – Transocean Ltd. announced contract fixtures for three of its harsh environment semisubmersibles. Together, the fixtures represent approximately $161 million in firm contract backlog.

Transocean Spitsbergen

In Norway, Transocean Spitsbergen was awarded a three-well contract extension with Equinor. The program is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2025 in direct continuation of the rig’s current program and contribute approximately $72 million in backlog, excluding additional services. The extension also includes options for up to six additional wells.

Transocean Norge was awarded a three-well contract extension with Wintershall Dea. The estimated 140-day program is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2028 in direct continuation of the rig’s current program and contribute approximately $71 million in backlog, excluding additional services.

In Australia, Woodside exercised its second option for the Transocean Endurance. The estimated 45-day well is expected to commence in direct continuation of the rig’s current program and contribute approximately $18 million in backlog.  

“These fixtures are emblematic of the continued strength of the high-specification harsh environment market,” said Jeremy Thigpen, Transocean’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our customers are contracting rigs up to four years in advance, reinforcing our confidence in the strength and longevity of this upcycle.”

Transocean is an international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The company specializes in technically demanding sectors of the global offshore drilling business with a particular focus on deepwater and harsh environment drilling services and operates the highest specification floating drilling fleet in the world.

Transocean owns or has partial ownership interests in and operates a fleet of 36 mobile offshore drilling units, consisting of 28 ultra-deepwater floaters and eight harsh environment floaters. In addition, Transocean is constructing one ultra-deepwater drillship.

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