Atwood Oceanics Pacific Limited News

Atwood Oceanics, Inc. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Atwood Oceanics Pacific Limited (AOPL), has been awarded a contract by Chevron Australia Pty. Ltd. to provide a newly constructed Mobile Offshore Semisubmersible Drilling Unit for a firm three year period, with an option to extend the firm period to six years. The contract provides for an operating dayrate of approximately $470,000, if the firm commitment is three years and approximately $450,000, if the option is exercised to extend the firm commitment period to six years. Both dayrates are subject to adjustment pursuant to cost escalation provisions of the contract. To provide the drilling rig required by this contract, AOPL has executed a construction contract with Jurong Shipyard Pte. Ltd.

Keppel Corp.'s AMFELS Inc unit in Brownsville, Texas, won a $83 million contract to build a new jack-up rig for Mexican company Perforadora Central S.A. de C.V. Due for delivery in the first quarter of 2004, this rig is the fourth MOD V "B" class ordered in two years. The first "B" class, Chiles Discovery has just been delivered in Singapore. Its sister rig Chiles Galileo, being built in AMFELS for the same owner Chiles Offshore Inc is due in September 2002. The third vessel, Atwood Beacon, is currently under construction in Singapore for Atwood Oceanics Pacific Limited and is expected to be delivered in June 2003. "This new generation rig looks set to become the rig of choice to replace the aging jack-up rigs that have been built in the 70/80s when they retire.

AMFELS Inc, the US wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore’s Keppel Corporation Limited through Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd, has laid the keel for new jack-up rig, Tonala, one month ahead of schedule. The $83 million contract for the rig was signed in April 2002 with Mexican company, Perforadora Central SA de CV. Tonala is a KFELS MOD V “B” class jack-up, enhanced with Keppel’s proprietary jacking and fixation systems developed by its research and technology arm, Offshore Technology Development. At the keel laying ceremony, Mr Ricardo Cortina Cardenas, Vice President for Marine Drilling Division of Perforadora Central said, “We are very pleased with the progress of the construction of Tonala, which is ahead of schedule.

Atwood Oceanics, Inc. (a Houston based International Offshore Drilling Contractor) said that the VICKSBURG (owned and operated by its wholly owned subsidiary Atwood Oceanics Pacific Limited) has been awarded a two-year contract by Chevron Overseas Petroleum (Thailand) Limited ("Chevron") which will immediately follow Chevron's current eight (8) month drilling commitment offshore Cambodia. The VICKSBURG is presently working in Malaysia under drilling commitments with dayrates of $82,000 to $87,000, which should extend to October 2006. After completion of these commitments, the rig will be moved to Cambodia to commence the eight (8) month drilling commitment with Chevron followed by the two-year contract in Thailand.