Shelf Drilling: Higher Rig Rates, More Consolidation Coming in 2019
Shelf Drilling, the world's largest owner of shallow water rigs, expects to see higher rig rates in 2019 and more consolidation of the fragmented market, Chief Executive David Mullen told Reuters. Following an initial public offering, the Dubai-based company's shares began trading in Oslo on Monday, four years after abandoning plans to list in London in the wake of an oil price downturn. Its shares traded at 64.80 Norwegian crowns ($7.98) per share by 1023 GMT, below its initial offer of 65.35 crowns. Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis
Transocean to Focus on Floaters, Jackups, Sells 38 Shallow Water Rigs
Transocean Ltd. to sell 38 shallow water drilling rigs to Shelf Drilling International Holdings, Ltd. for approximately US$1.05-billion. Shelf Drilling is a newly formed company sponsored equally by Castle Harlan, Inc., CHAMP Private Equity and Lime Rock Partners. "This agreement marks an important milestone in our asset strategy to increase our focus on high-specification floaters and jackups, improving our long-term competitiveness," said Steven L. Newman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transocean Ltd. The sales price includes approximately $855 million in cash, subject to working capital and other closing adjustments, and $195 million in seller financing. Seller financing will be in the form of preference shares issued by an affiliate of Shelf Drilling.
Transocean Sedco Forex Merger Establishes World's Largest Offshore Driller
Transocean Offshore Inc. has completed its merger with Sedco Forex, which was spun-off from Schlumberger Limited. The resulting company, Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., is now the world's largest offshore drilling contractor and third-largest oilfield services company in terms of equity market capitalization, based on closing market prices on Dec. 30. In the merger, approximately 109.6 million ordinary shares of Transocean Offshore are being issued to stockholders of Schlumberger. The number of new shares issued is equivalent to 0.1936 shares of Transocean Sedco Forex for each outstanding Schlumberger share. Following the merger, Schlumberger stockholders hold about 52% of the approximately 210.1 million outstanding shares of Transocean Sedco Forex.
