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Transocean Sedco Forex Inc News

11 Oct 2001

Transocean Sedco Forex Awarded Contracts

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., announced that it has been awarded new contracts for its high-specification semisubmersible rigs Cajun Express and Sedco Express. Ocean Energy Inc. for ultra-deepwater drilling operations on the company's South Titan prospect located in approximately 6,200 feet of water in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The contract should commence following the completion of the rig's current drilling assignment with Ocean Energy in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Revenues to be generated over the estimated 40-day contract period could total approximately $6 million. The Sedco Express has been awarded a three-well, estimated 130-day contract from a unit of BP for drilling operations in the Eastern Mediterranean offshore the coast of Egypt in waterdepths between 2,600 feet and 3,280 feet.

29 Nov 2001

Stewart Joins Board at Hornbeck-Leevac

Hornbeck-Leevac Marine Services, Inc., announced that the board of directors has unanimously appointed Bernie W. Stewart to fill the recently created board vacancy. Stewart served in a variety of senior management positions with R&B Falcon until its merger in January 2001 with Transocean Sedco Forex, Inc., most recently as Senior Vice President, Operations of R&B Falcon Corporation and President of R&B Falcon Drilling US, its operating subsidiary. Previously, he served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the original Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc., and prior to that as President of Western Oceanics, Inc. Christian Vaccari…

14 Dec 2001

Transocean Sedco Forex’s COO Retires, Management Changes

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., announced that W. Dennis Heagney, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will retire from the company in June 2002, after 33 years of service. Heagney began his career in 1969 with The Offshore Company, a predecessor of Transocean Sedco Forex and has worked in a variety of operating and marketing roles in both the United States and International locations. The board of directors has appointed Robert L. Long as president of Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., effective immediately. Long will also assume the role of Chief Operating Officer upon the retirement of Heagney in June 2002. Long joined the company in 1975 and has held numerous operational and financial roles over his 26-year career including division engineer…

25 Jan 2002

Transocean Sedco Forex Receives Contract Awards

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. announced that it has been awarded contracts for two high specification floating drilling rigs and has received a contract extension on a third high-specification floating drilling rig. The semisubmersible Sovereign Explorer has been awarded a one-year primary term contract from Amerada Hess Corporation through its Triton Equatorial Guinea, Inc. business unit for drilling operations offshore Equatorial Guinea. The one-year contract, which provides for a one-year extension period, is expected to commence in early March 2002, following mobilization of the rig from the North Sea. Revenues expected to be generated over the one-year contract period, excluding mobilization and demobilization fees, could total approximately $33 million.

11 Feb 2002

Transocean Sedco Forex Reports Rescue

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. announced that its drillship, Peregrine III, has safely rescued the nine-member crew of the survey-and-recovery vessel ALOHA, which was lost at sea about 100 nautical miles northeast of Cozumel while under way to a historical and bullion wreck. The ALOHA reported that it had lost power and was taking on water on Thursday, February 7. Also responding were a German container vessel, MV Libra Houston, and a Norwegian cruise ship, Rhapsody At Sea. The ALOHA crewmembers, including four U.S. citizens and five Filipinos, were taken aboard the Peregrine III from an ALOHA life raft. No medical problems were reported among the rescued crewmembers. The ALOHA, a dynamically positioned ROV (remotely operated vehicle) survey ship, belongs to Deepsea International (DSI).

25 Apr 2000

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. Reports First Quarter 2000 Results

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc announced that net income for the three months ended March 31, 2000 was $32.5 million on revenues of $300.8 million. The results include a cash settlement of $25.1 million, relating to the previously reported agreement with BP Amoco to cancel the remaining 14 months of firm contract time on the semisubmersible Transocean Amirante. Net income for the corresponding three months in 1999 was $11.3 million on revenues of $189.2 million. Operating and maintenance expense for the first quarter of 1999 included charges for severance costs and provisions for potential legal claims totaling $42 million. The December 1999 merger of Transocean Offshore Inc.

22 Aug 2000

Transocean Buys R&B Falcon In $5.3B Stock Deal

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., already the world's biggest offshore oil-drilling contractor, agreed to buy R&B Falcon Corp. in a $5.3 billion stock deal that will make it the dominant deepwater driller. Under the agreement, approved by the boards of both companies, R&B Falcon stockholders will receive 0.5 shares of newly issued Transocean Sedco shares for each R&B Falcon share. Transocean will also assume approximately $3 billion in R&B Falcon debt, putting a total value on the deal of some $8.3 billion. The combined company would have a market capitalization of about $16.5 billion, almost three times as much as its biggest competitors, and would rank only beneath diversified oilfield services giants Schlumberger Ltd. and Halliburton Co. as a contractor to the global oil and gas industry.

03 Nov 2000

Transocean Sedco Forex Reports Rig Damage

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., the world's biggest offshore driller, said one of its rigs was damaged by a gas blowout while drilling a well offshore Indonesia for Australia's Santos Ltd. Transocean said all 92 crewmen aboard the jack-up rig Trident IX were evacuated without injury to a service vessel. It said it expected insurance to cover the cost of the damage that appeared to be limited to the drill floor area. The incident which occurred on Thursday in the Madura Straits, offshore East Java, was caused by an uncontrollable release of natural gas which subsequently ignited.

11 Jan 2001

Shareholders Approve Transocean Merger

At its extraordinary general meeting held Dec. 12, 2000 in Houston, Texas, holders of ordinary shares of Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. approved all proposals presented at the meeting, including those relating to the company's pending merger transaction with R&B Falcon Corporation. Shareholders approved an increase in authorized ordinary share capital, the issuance of ordinary shares in the merger, anincrease in the maximum size of the company's board of directors to 13 persons and an increase in the number of ordinary shares reserved for issuance under the company's Long-Term Incentive Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. On Aug. 21…

08 Mar 2001

Transocean Announces Changes and Promotions

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. announced that Jon C. Cole has been name executive vice president, Shallow and Inland Water Operations, overseeing the company's industry-leading presence in the shallow and inland waters of the U.S. drilling market. Cole joined the company in 1977 in Corporate Planning and has since held a number of management roles in the company's Operations and Marketing departments, including Division Manager in Egypt ad Scotland and Senior vice President of European Operations. Prior to his new assignment, Cole held the position of Executive Vice President, Marketing. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., where he received a bachelor's degree in chemistry and MBA.

08 Mar 2001

Transocean's Third Deepwater Rig Ready to Begin Work

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc.'s ultra-deepwater drillship Discoverer Deep Seas has completed acceptance testing and has commenced a five-year contract valued at an estimated $374 million for Chevron U.S.A. Production Company in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The Discoverer Deep Seas is the third Discoverer Enterprise-class drillship to join the Transocean Sedco Forex fleet, following the delivery of the Discoverer Spirit to Unocal in September 2000 and the Discoverer Enterprise to BP in December 1999. All three rigs are designed to drill in water depths of up to 10,000 ft. and possess the company's patented dual activity drilling process, comprised primarily of two complete drilling systems within one derrick.

08 Mar 2001

Transocean Closes R&B Falcon Merger

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc., recently announced the close of its merger with R&B Falcon Corporation, creating an offshore drilling contractor with unprecedented fleet and enhanced geographic diversity, technical expertise, financial strength and equity market liquidity. Pursuant to the merger agreement, Transcocean Sedco Forex will issue 106 million ordinary shares to R&B Falcon shareholders at the exchange ratio of 0.5 shares of Transocean Sedco Forex for each share of R&B Falcon, Following the exchange, the company's ordinary shares outstanding will total approximately 317 million. The company also announced that Victor E. Grijalva would continue to serve as the chairman of the board of directors of Transocean Sedco Forex…

11 Apr 2001

Sembcorp Marine Acquires A 50 Percent Stake In PPL Shipyard

SembCorp Marine has signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement with PPL Holdings Pte Ltd to acquire a 50 percent equity stake comprising 10,000,000 shares of $1.00 each in PPL Shipyard Pte Ltd. (PPLS) for $16 million. PPLS' business is primarily in oil rig and vessel construction as well as steel fabrication. It has recently secured a contract for the construction of two jack-up drilling rigs, each having a value of $125 million, from Sante Fe International Corp., with a construction period of 24 months for each rig. There are also options for four additional jack-up drilling rigs to be built for Sante Fe International Corporation. Last year, PPLS delivered a semi-submersible drilling rig named Cajun Express to U.S. offshore drilling company, Transocean Sedco Forex Inc.

30 Oct 2001

Transocean Sedco Forex Reports Third Quarter 2001 Earnings

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. announced that net income for the three months ended September 30, 2001 was $97.6 millionon revenues of $770.2 million. Net income for the quarter included a net after-tax gain totaling $7.5 million, resulting primarily from the sale of two Nigerian-based land rigs and the disposal of an inland drilling barge. Excluding the net after-tax gain, net income for the three months ended September 30, 2001 was $90.1 million. For the corresponding three months in 2000, net income was $49.3 million, and included a net after-tax gain of $7.1 million. Revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2000 were $314.5 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2001, net income was $196.6 million, on revenues of $2,072.5 million.

13 Apr 2000

Offshore News

R&B Falcon Confirms U.S. Reading & Bates Development Co. (DEVCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of R&B Falcon Corporation, announced its Boomvang Project in deepwater offshore Texas is proceeding rapidly. DEVCO concurs with previously announced reserve estimates of 70-100 million boe in several oil reservoirs extending across portions of East Breaks Blocks 642, 643, 688 and 732. Platform, production facilities and pipeline contracts are being evaluated, and development drilling is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of this year. The partners anticipate first production in the first quarter of 2002. DEVCO owns a 50 percent working interest in the Boomvang Project. Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kerr-McGee Corp. is operator and owns a 30 percent working interest.

17 Mar 2000

ABN AMRO Raises 2001 Earnings Estimates For Offshore Drillers

ABN AMRO raised its 2001 earnings estimates for several offshore drillers and said the oil service industry was in the early stages of a multiyear growth phase. "We are raising our 2000 and 2001 upstream capital spending growth estimates,'' analyst Asit Sen said in a research note. "We note that our views are above the latest consensus expectations. To reflect higher-than-previously expected day rates/utilization rates, we are also raising our 2001 earnings estimates and price targets," he said. "We believe that the sector is in the early stages of a multiyear growth phase. Accordingly, we would use any periods of significant near-term weakness as buying opportunities," he added.

02 Mar 2000

Transocean Reports GOM Incident

Transocean Sedco Forex, Inc., announced its second-generation semisubmersible drilling rig, Transocean 96, experienced an apparent anchor winch failure while under tow. An anchordropped and damaged the Poseidon Pipeline in Ship Shoal Block 332 in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Oil was observed on the surface at the site, approximately 75 miles south of Houma, La. All appropriate government agencies were notified, and the pipelne was shut in by Equilon Pipeline Company, which operates the pipeline. Transocean Sedco Forex worked with Equilon's emergency response team and with all appropriate governmental agencies with respect to remediation efforts. The company expects insurance will substantially cover any potential liability associated with the matter.

13 Jul 2001

Offshore Stocks Take A Tumble

Drilling and oilfield service stocks fell sharply on Thursday after offshore driller Rowan Cos. Inc. said the business outlook for the third quarter of this year was uncertain. A fall in the price of crude oil also contributed to price weakness in the sector. In early afternoon trading Rowan's stock was off $1.83, or 8.9 percent, at $18.74. Other big losers among drilling and oilfield service stocks included Global Marine Inc. - off $1.11 at $16.10 - Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. - down $2.14 at $37.21 - BJ Services Inc. -- $1.75 lower at $23.35 - Smith International Inc. - down $3.13 at $54.45. The losses for these companies' stock prices ranged anywhere from 5 to 7 percent.

07 Jan 2000

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.

07 Jan 2000

S&P Raises Transocean Offshore Ratings

Standard & Poor's raised its ratings for Transocean Offshore Inc., renamed Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. (See chart page 2, related story page 8) At the same time, Standard & Poor's assigned to the company an 'A-1' short-term corporate credit rating, an 'A-1' rating for its $500 million commercial paper program, and a single-'A' rating for its $400 million term loan maturing December 2004. The company's ratings are removed from CreditWatch with positive implications, where they were placed on July 12, 1999, upon the announcement that un-rated Schlumberger Ltd. would spin off its marine drilling unit and combine it with Transocean. That merger was completed on Dec. 31, 1999. The outlook is stable.

06 Jan 2000

S&P Raises Transocean Offshore Ratings

Standard & Poor’s raised its ratings for Transocean Offshore Inc., renamed Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. (See chart page 2, related story page 8) At the same time, Standard & Poor’s assigned to the company an ‘A-1’ short-term corporate credit rating, an ‘A-1’ rating for its $500 million commercial paper program, and a single-’A’ rating for its $400 million term loan maturing December 2004. The company’s ratings are removed from CreditWatch with positive implications, where they were placed on July 12, 1999, upon the announcement that un-rated Schlumberger Ltd. would spin off its marine drilling unit and combine it with Transocean. That merger was completed on Dec. 31, 1999. The outlook is stable.

02 Mar 2000

Quarter and Year-End Earnings

Once again, quarter and year-end earnings reported in the offshore market reflected a familiar trend: oil majors saw gains - sometimes significant; while oilfield service companies continued to struggle, compared to the year-earlier marks. Unocal Corporation reported fourth quarter 1999 preliminary unaudited net earnings of $97 million and adjusted net earnings (excluding special items) of $77 million. The fourth quarter results compare with a reported loss of $29 million for the same period a year ago. Adjusted net earnings for the fourth quarter 1998 were $28 million. The fourth quarter earnings reflect higher oil and gas prices, offset partially by lower net oil and gas sales volumes and a higher international tax rate.

02 Mar 2000

Offshore Stocks Flying High As Boom Nears

It appears that the long awaited, much antipated and greatly debated offshore boom part II is prepared to launch again, as offshore drilling stocks surged on Thursday as U.S. crude oil prices hit a fresh nine-year high of $32.15 a barrel, fueling a second day of strong gains on Wall Street for the oilfield services sector. Drilling stocks across the board were flying high, some posting high single and low double digit gains for the day. At mid-day R&B Falcon Corp. was 1-1/2 higher at 18-1/8 and Santa Fe International Corp. was up 3 at 32-15/16 -- gains of roughly 9 and 10 percent respectively. It was the second straight day of substantial gains for oilfield services stocks…