Shelf Drilling rig going back to work for Aramco as suspension ends

Shelf Drilling, an offshore drilling player, has received a green light from Aramco, a Saudi Arabian drilling giant, which will enable one of its rigs to return to its drilling assignment in the Middle East after more than a year-long suspension.

A notice to resume operations for the Harvey H. Ward jack-up rig in the Middle East comes after the rig’s operations were previously suspended by Saudi Aramco, effective September 2024. The suspension was part of the operator’s broader round of contract pauses affecting multiple jack-up rigs in the region.

Following the recent notice, the rig is expected to restart its drilling work before the end of January 2026. As a result, the contract end date is now set for October 2029. The Harvey H. Ward 300-foot jack-up rig was built in 1981 and upgraded in 2011.

Shelf Drilling has been busy with securing new rig jobs, as illustrated by seven new contracts and extensions since Q1 2025, while setting the stage for its merger with ADES.

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