Valaris-Aramco JV racks up jackup quintet extensions

Saudi Arabia’s energy heavyweight Aramco has inked a contract extension agreement with ARO Drilling, its 50/50 joint venture with Valaris, for five offshore drilling jack-up rigs.

As disclosed, the five-year deal encompasses the extensions of contracts for the Bob Palmer 50 (BP-50), Rowan Mississippi (RM-74), Rowan EXL-IV 83 (EXL-IVA), Ensco 140 (V-140A), and Ensco 141 (V-141A) rigs.

Described as significant by ARO, the deal is said to mark a key milestone in the company’s efforts to expand its operations and further contribute to the country’s economic growth.

The five rigs form part of ARO’s leased fleet. With the exception of EXL-IV, which is a premium jackup, all rigs are high-specification jackups.

The 2003-built Bob Palmer is the oldest of the five. Upgraded in 2016, the rig is of LeTourneau Technologies Super Gorilla XL Class design.

Next up is the Rowan Mississippi, built in 2008 and upgraded in 2018. This rig is of LeTourneau 240-C Class design. Built in 2011 and upgraded in 2018, the Rowan EXL-IV is of LeTourneau Super 116-E Class design. All three can drill up to 35,000 feet.

The last two, 140 and 141, are of Cameron S116 E design. They were built in 2016 and can drill up to 30,000 feet. 

Aramco and ARO are building the Kingdom 3 jack-up rig at the International Maritime Industries (IMI) shipyard. In February 2025, Seatrium won a tender to supply equipment and a license for the future rig.

IMI, which is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco, Lamprell, Bahri, and Hyundai Heavy Industries, is said to be the largest shipyard in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.