Offshore Rig Counts Unchanged

The number of mobile offshore drilling rigs under contract is unchanged from last week, according to Offshore Data Services' weekly mobile offshore rig count. In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, 139 of 190 mobile offshore drilling rig are under contract this week. U.S. Gulf drilling fleet utilization is 73.2 percent. Among the working rigs is a new deepwater drillship, which has moved to its first drilling location. In the North Sea, Mediterranean Sea and other European waters, 77 of 107 mobile offshore drilling rigs are under contract. European offshore rig utilization stands at 72.0 percent. Worldwide, 472 of 631 existing mobile offshore drilling rigs are under contract. Worldwide offshore rig utilization is 74.8 percent. In addition to the 631 existing mobile offshore drilling rigs, another 37 are under construction, including 30 deepwater rigs.