Jackup Drilling Rigs News

Texas-based offshore drilling contractor Vantage Drilling International reported a net loss of  $52.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018 as compared to a net loss of $36.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2017.For the year ended December 31, 2018, Vantage reported a net loss of $141.5 million or as compared to a net loss of $149.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.Vantage, a Cayman Islands exempted company, issued $350 million of new senior secured notes using proceeds to repay its first and second lien debt and to acquire the Soehanah jackup for $85.0, including transaction costs.Ihab Toma, CEO, Said: "We refinanced two tranches of debt thereby extending maturities to 2023.

Vantage Drilling International announced that it has been notified that its drilling services contract for the Emerald Driller will be extended for two years, beginning in May 2018. Ihab Toma, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are very pleased that we will continue to work with one of our esteemed clients and keep our rigs working in this challenging environment. Vantage Drilling International, a Cayman Islands exempted company, is an offshore drilling contractor, with a fleet of three ultra-deepwater drillships, four premium jackup drilling rigs and one standard jack-up drilling rig. Vantage's primary business is to contract drilling units…

Vantage Drilling International, announced  that it has received a letter from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) acknowledging Vantage's full cooperation in the DOJ's investigation concerning possible violations by Vantage of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and indicating that the DOJ has closed its investigation without any action. The investigation arose in 2015 from allegations of improper payments to former officials of Petróleo Brasileiro S.A (Petrobras) in connection with the contracting of the Titanium Explorer drillship to Petrobras. From the outset of the investigation, the Company has provided its full cooperation to the DOJ and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

The 20 year four-fold growth pattern in the world’s FPSO fleet stalls out in 2016 with a record number of FPSOs idle and available for redeployment – or perhaps to be forced into other uses, lay up or scrap. FPSO redeployments typically are far more complex, costly and risky than for (say) drillships and yet the need for redeploying idle FPSOs is now in the forefront of the industry like never before as FPSO owners also have to face the worst ever down market for their equipment and services.

The Great Lakes Towing Company announces the addition of Nikita Skeeter, a maritime professional with over 25 years of experience in shipbuilding and production management, as General Manager of Great Lakes Shipyard. Skeeter’s management experience includes multiple, simultaneous shipyard projects with budgets up to $1 billion, as well as responsibilities for more than 400 maritime professionals and production tradesmen including: Design, engineering, welding and pipefitting, electrical, painting, carpentry and more.

Lamprell announced it has completed construction on jackup drilling rig Greatdrill Chaaru, delivering the rig to Greatship Global Energy Services Pte. Ltd. Greatdrill Chaaru has been designed according to the LeTourneau Super 116E (Enhanced) Class design. The rig’s construction was undertaken on a fast-track basis, completed 18 months after initial steel cutting. The naming ceremony was held at Lamprell’s Hamriyah facility in the UAE on February 9. Lamprell said Greatdrill Chaaru is due to sail to its drilling location in India within the next few days, joining its sister vessel, the Greatdrill Chaaya, which Lamprell delivered in January 2013. Both rigs are contracted to work for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) in the offshore Indian territorial waters.

Lamprell has completed the construction of jackup drilling rig, the Shuwehat, and has delivered the rig to Abu Dhabi’s National Drilling Company (NDC) within budget and as scheduled. The delivery follows Lamprell’s announcement on November 12 stating that the group received a new $365 million contract award from NDC for the construction of two further jackup drilling rigs of a similar design and specification. Shuwehat is the fifth in a series of eight rigs ordered in April 2012 with the LeTourneau Super 116E (Enhanced) Class design which are being built and delivered by Lamprell to NDC.

Lamprell received a new contract award valued at approximately $365 million from National Drilling Company (NDC) for the construction and delivery of two further high specification jackup drilling rigs of a Super 116E (Enhanced) Class. Lamprell was previously awarded contracts by NDC for a series of six identical rigs and is on schedule to complete construction of the final two jackup rigs, having already delivered the first four on time and on budget. As with the units under construction…

Lamprell today announced its financial results for the first half of 2014, reporting results ahead of expectations due to strong operational performance and early results from savings initiatives, generating improved margins. Revenues rose by $125.7 million against H1 2013 as a result of the high H1 activity levels and phasing of construction activity during the period. According to Lamprell, successful rights issue and refinancing provides a strong financial platform and enables delivery of long-term growth strategy.

Keppel FELS Limited, a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), has secured a contract from UMW Drilling 8 Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UMW Oil & Gas Corporation Sdn. Bhd., for a KFELS B Class jackup rig worth $218 million (USD). It will be the third KFELS B Class jackup rig for UMW Oil & Gas and is scheduled for delivery in 3Q 2015. The first jackup - UMW NAGA 4 - was delivered in February 2013 and the second - UMW NAGA 5 - is expected to be completed by 2Q 2014.

Northern Offshore subsidiary, Northern Offshore International Drilling Company says it has executed a long-term drilling contract with an affiliate of CAMAC Energy Inc. for its drillship 'Energy Searcher'. The contract commits to an initial period of one year, with an option to extend the contact for an additional one-year term. Commencement of drilling activities on the Oyo Field offshore Nigeria is expected during the first half of 2014. The contract value for the first one-year term is just under US$100 million, plus mobilization fees.

1. COSCO (Dalian) Shipyard Co. Ltd has secured contracts from a Bermuda company for two LeTourneau Super 116E jackup drilling rigs, scheduled for delivery in 1H2016 and 2H2016 respectively. The same buyer has also secured options for two additional jackup drilling rigs. 2. COSCO (Zhoushan) Shipyard Co. Ltd has been contracted to build a dry bulk carrier of 64,000dwt for a European buyer, with delivery scheduled in the second half of 2014. The COSCO Group adds that barring  any unforeseen circumstances…

Northern Offshore, Ltd. subsidiaries have executed contracts for the construction of two LeTourneau Super 116E Class jackup drilling rigs, with a priced option for the construction of two additional rigs of the same design. Northern Offshore say that the yard contract price is less than US$180 million, with favorable tail-end-heavy payment terms. Delivery of the rigs is expected during the first and third quarters of 2016, respectively. Construction will be carried out by an experienced and well qualified [un-named] Chinese shipyard. Gary W. Casswell, president and chief executive officer of Northern Offshore said, "This is a turning point for our company…

Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has strengthened its foothold in the offshore and marine industry in Mexico with the signing of an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with PEMEX Exploracion y Produccion (PEP) and P.M.I. Norteamérica, S.A. de C.V. (PMI), both subsidiaries of Mexico's national oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). The MOU is to jointly develop, own and operate a yard facility in Mexico, the first phase of which is to support the construction of six KFELS B class jackup drilling rigs for PEP. The MOU was signed today by the General Director of PMI, Dr. Jose Manuel Carrera Panizzo, and the Chief Operating Officer and CEO-Designate of Keppel O&M…

Noble Corporation's Board of Directors has approved changing the place of incorporation of the publicly traded parent of the Noble group of companies from Switzerland to the United Kingdom. The Company's shareholders will be asked to vote to approve the proposed change. If approved by shareholders, Noble expects the change of the place of incorporation to be effective as soon as practicable following the merger of Noble Corporation, the current Swiss parent company, into a newly formed company incorporated under English law.

CSSC Guangzhou Huangpu Shipbuilding (CSSC-HPS) confirmed that it is starting the construction of “two plus two” units of jackup drilling rigs capable of operating in 400 Foot Water Depths, using the Zentech design and TSC integrated equipment packages. Alliance Offshore Drilling PTE Ltd. of Singapore is the owner of the R-550D rigs under construction. CSSC-HPS is a large-scale state owned company and member of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. More recent builds include the 400-ton shallow water heavy lift and pipe-laying vessel and an engineering survey vessel for 3…

Douglas-Westwood has enjoyed an active autumn providing market and commercial insight to both trade and private equity firms in the process of buying and selling oilfield services, engineering and equipment companies. “With focused and timely provision of our core service offering in market sizing, client consultations, competitive analysis and business plan reviews, our clients have completed a number of transactions in the last quarter. With one of the largest focused teams of commercial and strategy consultants, all our core  global offices have been busy on some flagship deals in the sector that have completed, while they have also been working on a high number that our clients decided to withdraw from” commented Andrew Reid, group CEO.

Norway's Northern Offshore, Ltd announce that the last two wells of a 4-well program will not be drilled at the present time. The Joint Operating Company Vietgazprom, a joint venture between Petrovietnam and Gazprom, ("VGP") has given notice that the last two wells will not be drilled at present. The second and final well under the current contract is expected to be completed by late September 2012. However, the Company and VGP are currently in discussion to formally suspend the contract to allow for the drilling of the two remaining wells during 2013…

The two contract awards for the Sapphire Driller involve adding an additional well to the Sapphire Driller's current drilling program and three wells from another customer in the Ivory Coast. The contracts will commence in continuity with the current drilling program and have an anticipated duration of approximately 215 days. The contract awards will generate an estimate $34.5 million of revenue, net of taxes. Additionally, the Emerald Driller's customer in Thailand has exercised their six month option, extending the current contract through the middle of 2013. The exercise of the option adds approximately $23.4 million of backlog. Vantage…

Northern Offshore, Ltd. semi-submersibles Energy Driller and drillship Energy Searcher have commenced operations off Vietnam coast. The Energy Searcher went on dayrate under the contract with the Joint Operating Company Vietgazprom, a joint venture between Petrovietnam and Gazprom, ("VGP") for their drilling program offshore Vietnam on April 6, 2012. The duration is for a four-well program expected to last approximately 100 days per well. The estimated contract value is approximately US$72 million.

RigNet, Inc., a provider of managed remote communications solutions for the upstream oil and gas industry, recently announced the expansion of its contract with Hercules Offshore to provide managed remote communications to its fleet of jackup drilling rigs and U.S. Gulf of Mexico-based inland barges. Under the previous contract, RigNet provided managed communication services to most Hercules Offshore rigs operating outside of the United States. This recent agreement expands the contract to include the company's jackup rigs and inland barges in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, including the recently-acquired rigs from Seahawk Drilling. With managed communications solutions provided by RigNet, Hercules Offshore's remote personnel can now access critical enterprise data, voice and broadband Internet.

Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS) is set to deliver a jackup rig ahead of schedule to Virtue Drilling, an associate company of India’s Jindal Drilling & Industries (Jindal). Named in the presence of Guest-of-Honor, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Singapore’s Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, the jackup rig Virtue I, has also achieved a clean safety record of about 2.1 million man-hours worked without incidents. “In its strive for excellence in technology innovation and project execution…

Transocean Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement with Hercules Offshore, Inc. to sell three of its U.S. Gulf of Mexico jackup drilling rigs and related equipment for $320m. The sales of the GSF Adriatic III, GSF High Island I and GSF High Island VIII will mark Transocean's exit from the shallow-water area of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The sales are expected to be consummated at the conclusion of each rig's current contract commitment and are subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The agreement has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. Built in 1982, the GSF Adriatic III is a Marathon LeTourneau 116C design jackup with a water depth capability of 350 feet.