Ocean Monarch News

Esgian reports various drilling contractors disclosing details of discussions with Saudi Aramco regarding jackup contract suspensions in its Week 14 Rig Analytics Market Roundup. These contractors include Shelf Drilling, ADES, Borr Drilling, Arabian Drilling, COSL, and ARO Drilling.Meanwhile, Transocean, Noble, and COSL rigs have firmed up new work in the US Gulf of Mexico, Suriname, and the North Sea, respectively.Report overview:ContractsShelf Drilling has received a notice of suspension of operations on four jackup rigs from a customer in the Middle East.

Norwegian ship owner Solstad Farstad ASA said it has secured new contracts and contract extensions for six vessels.BP Egypt has declared the one-year option on the platform supply vessel (PSV) Sea Swift resulting in continuous utilization of the vessel through to August 2019.Equinor Brasil has extended present contracts for the PSVs Far Scotsman and Far Serenade with three months each to December 2018.In addition, SolstadFarstad secured ongoing charters in the Bass Strait, Australia, for the anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTS) Far Senator and Far Saracen and the PSV Sea Swan.

Norway’s offshore vessel provider SolstadFarstad has secured a contract with Australian energy company Cooper Energy to support drilling operations within the Bass Strait region of Australia. The contract consists of the  two anchor handling tug and supply vessels - Far Statesman and Far Senator - towing the Ocean Monarch from the North West Shelf of Australia to the Bass Strait, and then continuing with rig support duties for a firm period of 120 days, and two lots of 60-day optional periods. Both vessels are of a UT 731 CD design built in 2013. The tow of the Ocean Monarch is anticipated to begin late December 2017 or January 2018. The value of the contract was not disclosed.

Rig contractor Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc's Chief Executive Officer Marc Edwards said on Monday oil prices needed to be "well over $60" to spur a recovery in offshore drilling. The company's shares reversed course and were down 2.3 percent at $16.67, with investors shrugging off a beat on quarterly profit and revenue. Global benchmark Brent crude prices have stabilized after a more than two-year slump, with prices hovering around $55 per barrel. "Offshore drilling is cyclical in nature…

Keppel AmFELS to Construct and Upgrade Deepwater Semisubmersible for Diamond Offshore for US$150 million. Keppel AmFELS LLC, a US wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), has secured a contract from Diamond Offshore to construct and upgrade a moored semisubmersible rig with delivery scheduled for 3Q 2013. The estimated shipyard contract price is approximately US$150 million. The rig, to be named Ocean Onyx, will be constructed from an existing hull from a Diamond Offshore cold stacked unit, which previously operated as the Ocean Voyager. Keppel AmFELS' scope of work on the Ocean Onyx includes the reconstruction of the rig…

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE:DO) today announced that a subsidiary, Diamond Offshore Drilling Limited, has exercised its option to build a third ultra-deepwater drillship with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. with delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2014. Total cost, including commissioning, spares and project management, is estimated to be approximately $610 million and is anticipated to be paid out of cash flow and available funds. Like its previously announced sister drillships…

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE:DO) today announced that a subsidiary of the company has entered into two term drilling contracts with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. The contracts, which will utilize Diamond Offshore's two new-build drillships now on order, are expected to generate combined maximum total revenue of approximately $1.8 billion and represent 10 years of contract drilling backlog. In addition, Anadarko and Diamond have mutually agreed to dismiss all claims related to the Ocean Monarch.

Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (Keppel O&M) has delivered its KFELS Super B Class jackup drilling rig to Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc (Diamond Offshore). The Ocean Shield marks the 20th KFELS B Class drilling rig constructed by Keppel FELS since the launch of this design in 2000. It will also be the first of two KFELS B Class designed rigs commissioned by Diamond Offshore in 2005. The second is being built by Keppel FELS sister company, Keppel AmFELS in . The KFELS Super B Class rigs are an enhanced version of the KFELS B Class and are equipped with cantilever skid-off capabilities and high capacity hook loads of two million pounds for operation in extreme high-temperature and high-pressure wells.