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The Offshore Drilling News

10 Mar 2024

Esgian Week 10 Report: Additional Backlog Secured

© freddytb Foto / Adobe Stock

Esgian reports that offshore drilling contractors secured additional backlog in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Egypt, Nigeria, and Brazil and operators confirmed new discoveries in Indonesia, Côte d’Ivoire, and China in its Week 10 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.ContractsDiamond Offshore has executed a two-year contract extension with a subsidiary of bp in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico for the 12,000-ft drillship Ocean BlackHornet.Shelf Drilling’s 250-ft jackup Rig 141 has secured a two-year…

03 Mar 2024

Esgian Week 9 Report: Dolphin, Diamond and Seadrill Updates

© AndSus / Adobe Stock

Esgian reports rig-related updates from Dolphin Drilling, Diamond Offshore, and Seadrill in its Week 9 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report Outline:ContractsDespite Tullow Oil’s recent announcement that it would take a break from drilling offshore Ghana, Noble Corp. has stated that there has been no contract termination announcement and that its 12,000-ft drillship Noble Venturer is currently still contracted to Tullow into March 2025.Masirah Oil Ltd has signed a rig contract with…

01 Mar 2024

Green(er) Rigs Put Stena Drilling at Forefront of O&G Decarb Push

Image courtesy Stena Drilling

As the offshore oil and gas industry transitions to more sustainable practices, drilling rig operators are faced with demands to implement greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement measures as part of their workload. Being the owner of the first ever drillship that secured DNV’s Abate(P) notation, Scotland-based offshore drilling contractor Stena Drilling discusses everything the company is doing to make its drill-ships ‘greener’.The first step to reducing its carbon footprint for Stena…

13 Feb 2024

Oil Industry, Green Groups Challenge Biden Offshore Drilling Plan

© Lukasz Z / Adobe Stock

Oil and gas companies and environmental groups on Monday filed dueling legal challenges to the Biden administration's five-year plan to offer drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico.The petitions to a U.S. appeals court come four months after the Interior Department unveiled a congressionally-mandated plan for offshore leasing that included just three sales, the lowest since the government began publishing the schedules in 1980.The American Petroleum Institute, an oil and gas trade group…

17 Jan 2024

Stena Drilling Takes Delivery of Stena Evolution Drillship

Stena Evolution (Credit: Stena Drilling)

Offshore drilling contractor Stena Drilling has taken delivery of its 7th generation Stena Evolution ultra-deepwater drillship from Samsung Heavy Industries.After a decade in the making, Stena Evolution drillship has finally been completed and is ready for its first job.The technologically advanced drillship is capable of operating at water depths of up to 12,000ft (around 3,500 meters) and drilling depths up to 40,000ft (over 12,000 meters).The drilling unit utilizes riser storage in hull to offer extensive deck space with a 24…

21 Dec 2023

Valaris Takes Delivery of Two New Drillships

Credit: Valaris

Offshore drilling company Valaris has taken delivery of newbuild drillships VALARIS DS-13 and DS-14 for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $337 million.VALARIS DS-13 and DS-14 will be mobilized from South Korea to Las Palmas in Spain, where the rigs will be stacked until they are contracted for work.The purchase of the rigs is expected to increase the company’s fourth quarter 2023 capital expenditures by approximately $355 million, representing the purchase price for the rigs and costs associated with preparing the rigs to mobilize from South Korea to Las Palmas…

02 Nov 2023

US Postpones Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Auction Due to Litigation

Credit: james_pintar/AdobeStock

The Biden administration on Thursday postponed a Nov. 8 sale of offshore drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico pending the outcome of a lawsuit over oil and gas development and federal protection of an endangered species of whale.The move comes after a U.S. appeals court on Oct. 26 temporarily paused a lower court order requiring the Interior Department's U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to expand the auction, which was originally scheduled to be held in September.Oral arguments are scheduled for Nov.

02 Nov 2023

BIO-UV to Deliver Ballast Water Treatment System for Drillship Pair

Credit: BIO-UV

BIO-UV Group said Thursday it had received a major order to supply its BIO-SEA ballast water treatment system to a pair of drillships scheduled to enter an undisclosed operator’s offshore drilling rig fleet.According to BIO-UV, a modular version from the BIO-SEA B-Series, combining mechanical  filtration and UV disinfection, has been ordered by a United Arab Emirates-based offshore drilling contractor, a returning customer for BIO-UV Group, and will be installed on the vessels…

27 Oct 2023

U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Sale Expansion, Pending Appeal

Credit: donvictori0/AdobeStock

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday temporarily paused a federal judge's order last month that had required the Biden administration to expand a planned offshore oil and gas auction in the Gulf of Mexico by 6 million acres (2.4 million hectares).The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stayed the September decision pending an appeal, according to a court document. Oral arguments are scheduled for Nov. 13 in New Orleans.The order was the latest in a legal fight over offshore drilling and federal protection of an endangered species of whale.

16 Oct 2023

Hornblower Announces Leadership Promotions

Adam Peakes (Photo: Hornblower Group)

Hornblower Group on Monday announced the promotions of several key members of its leadership team.“These changes within the leadership team represent a significant milestone for Hornblower Group as we forge ahead in working toward our company’s ambitions goals,” said Kevin Rabbitt, Chief Executive Officer for Hornblower Group. “I have full confidence that this group, with their impressive backgrounds and extensive industry knowledge, will significantly contribute to supporting our company's overall business strategy and lead us toward a successful future.

05 Oct 2023

Japanese Shipping Giant Buys Into Norwegian Floating Wind Firm

Credit: Odfjell OceanWind

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has, following a recent private placement, become a shareholder in Odfjell Oceanwind, a Norwegian floating wind technology developer."The transaction generates significant capital which will be used to further strengthening Odfjell Oceanwind’s position as a global leader and frontrunner in floating offshore wind technologies. Odfjell Technology Ltd. combined with the Odfjell family’s direct investment will remain the largest shareholder in the company…

29 Sep 2023

US Plans Sharp Reduction in Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales

Credit: scandamerican/AdobeStock

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a plan to phase down oil and gas auctions in federal waters with the release of a long-awaited leasing schedule that includes a maximum of three sales in the Gulf of Mexico through 2029.The Interior Department's plan includes by far the lowest number of sales since the agency began producing Congressionally-mandated five-year oil and gas leasing schedules in 1980. Previous programs have ranged between 11 and 41 sales, according to Interior's U.S.

23 Oct 2023

Arbitration Tribunal Delivers Verdict: Hanwha Triumphs in Deepwater Drillship Dispute

Credit: Northern Drilling

An arbitration tribunal has delivered a verdict in a drillship order cancellation case involving offshore drilling contractor Northern Drilling and Daweoo Shipbuilding Marine and Engineering (now known as Hanwha Ocean), ruling in favor of Hanwha.Billionaire John Fredriksen-owned offshore drilling company Northern Drilling canceled the West Aquila and West Libra drillship orders with South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in 2021, citing delay of deliveries as well as a repudiatory breach of contract, and said it would seek a refund for installments paid.

31 Aug 2023

Transocean Awarded $222 Million Drillship Contract

Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1 (Photo: Transocean)

Offshore drilling contractor Transocean announced it has been awarded a $222 million contract for one of its ultra-deepwater drillships to go to work offshore India.India's state-controlled Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd awarded the binding notification of award for Transocean's Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1, a sixth-generation drillship built in 2009 by South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries.The 21-month program is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2024, contributing an estimated $222 million in backlog…

11 Sep 2023

Northern Lights CCS: Trailblazing the Path to Europe’s Net Zero Emissions

Image © Equinor

In the global quest for achieving net zero emissions and slowing down global warming, carbon capture and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as an important solution. Among the notable projects being developed in the field is the Northern Lights offshore carbon capture and storage project in Norway, a country with long experience with offshore CO2 storage.The transition to a sustainable energy future requires innovative solutions that go beyond simply halting fossil fuel projects.

21 Jun 2023

Transocean's Deepwater Titan Begins Inaugural Contract for Chevron

Deepwater Titan (Photo: Transocean)

Offshore drilling contractor Transocean said its new eighth-generation drillship Deepwater Titan has started its inaugural contract with supermajor Chevron in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.Built by Singapore's Sembcorp Marine and delivered to Transocean subsidiary Triton Titan GmBH in December 2022, Deepwater Titan is the world’s second eighth-generation drillship, constructed based on the builder’s Jurong Espadon 3T design.The dual-derrick ultra-deepwater drillship is the first-ever unit delivered with two 20…

28 Apr 2023

Protecting Offshore Energy Sources via USV

Photo courtesy Mr. Dave Meron

When most people discuss energy sources such as fossil fuel and green energy, it is from an “either-or” perspective. Some favor the former while others advocate for the latter. However, what is often lost in the arguments on both sides is that regardless of the type of energy being extracted or generated, those platforms that are offshore, especially oil rigs, oil and gas pipelines, and wind farms, are incredibly vulnerable to anyone who wants to attack these sources in wartime…

25 Jul 2023

Transocean's Big Move: Adapting Offshore Drilling Vessels to Install Wind Foundations

Credit: Ana/AdobeStock

Transocean, best known for its deepwater drilling services in the oil and gas space, is looking to expand into the offshore wind sector and is planning to convert some of its offshore drilling vessels into wind foundation installation vessels.The company said Wednesday it had executed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with offshore wind installation services firm Eneti with a plan to form a joint venture company that will engage in offshore wind foundation installation…

16 Mar 2023

Deteriorated Bollard Caused Drillship Breakaway and Collision

​VALARIS DS-16 after the casualty. (Photo: US Coast Guard)

A deteriorated bollard led to a Valaris drillship breaking away and colliding with a bulk carrier in Pascagoula, Miss. last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On March 12, 2022, the mobile offshore drilling unit Valaris DS-16 was in the process of being reactivated at the ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore Shipyard (STEHMO) when it broke away from the dock in strong winds, drifted across the Bayou Casotte channel and collided with the bulk carrier Akti.

09 Mar 2023

US Needs Until Year-end to Complete Offshore Drilling Plan

© alexpolo / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration needs until the end of this year to finalize a long-awaited five-year plan for offshore oil and gas development in federal waters, according to court documents filed this week.The U.S. has been without a congressionally-mandated five year schedule of offshore oil and gas auctions since the previous one expired in June 2022. The process is being closely watched by the oil and gas industry, which has pressed for more leasing to boost domestic fuel supplies, and by environmentalists, who say drilling conflicts with President Joe Biden's promise to fight climate change.

31 Jan 2023

Q&A: Ballast Water Management Market Matures

Image courtesy Ecochlor

Since the ballast water management system discussion started nearly two decades ago, a clear concern was the ability to fit new equipment on existing ships, placing a strain on both space and power. Last month we caught up with a few key suppliers to for their insights on market development.How many BWMS have you sold and installed to date?Maxime Dedeurwaerder, BIO-UV GroupLast year has proven to be the best on record, with roughly 200 BIO-Sea units delivered. All told, since we entered the ballast water market, we have about 700 units in service or pending commissioning.

16 Jan 2023

Ecochlor to Install EcoOne Container Unit on Island Drilling's Offshore Rig

©Island Drilling

Norwegian offshore drilling contractor Island Drilling has contracted Ecochlor to install their new EcoOne Container Unit on board the Island Innovator semi-submersible rig.Vidar Vik, Technical Section Leader at Island Drilling, said: "Our research in choosing a BWMS for the Island Innovator was a very difficult process because of the unique ballasting needs for offshore rigs. "We were interested in the EcoOne Container Unit because it was filterless, which allowed for a very simple installation…

30 Dec 2022

Sembcorp Delivers 8th-generation Drillship Deepwater Titan to Transocean

Deepwater Titan (Photo: Sembcorp Marine)

Singapore-based shipbuilder Sembcorp Marine has delivered Deepwater Titan, the world’s second 8th-generation drillship, to Transocean subsidiary Triton Titan GmBH.Deepwater Titan is the second of two new 8th-generation drillships constructed by Sembcorp Marine based on the group’s Jurong Espadon 3T design. The dual-derrick drillship is the first-ever unit delivered with two 20,000-psi blowout preventers (BOPs), well-control, riser and piping systems for high-pressure and high-temperature drilling and completion operations.

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