ENSCO 110, ENSCO 104 Contracted for UAE & M.E.
Ensco plc has entered into a three-year contract with NDC for a new premium jackup, ENSCO 110. This newbuild rig is scheduled to commence operations later this month offshore United Arab Emirates at a rate of approximately $114,000 per day. NDC has also contracted ENSCO 104 for a three-year term at a day rate of $114,000. The rig is mobilizing to the Middle East from the Asia Pacific region and is scheduled to commence its new contract in late-June 2015. Chief Executive Officer Carl Trowell commented, “We are pleased to extend our relationship with NDC. The Middle East is the largest market for premium jackups, and we continue to invest in new rig technology for the benefit of customers.
National Oilwell Expects Offshore Rig Demand to Slow
National Oilwell Varco Inc, the largest U.S. oilfield equipment provider, said orders fell by nearly a quarter in the first quarter and it expects demand for new offshore rigs to slow during the second half of the year. The company's shares fell about 7 percent. Demand for contract drilling is softening as rigs ordered during boom times are being delivered now. Large oil companies are tightening spending after a decade of double-digit increase in budgets as oil prices stagnate and project costs rise.
