Cobalt Announces Execution of a Drilling Rig Contract for Block 21 Offshore Angola

Cobalt announced execution of a Drilling Rig Contract with Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. for use of the Ocean Confidence drilling rig.

Cobalt plans to use this rig to drill the first two wells on Block 21 in the deepwater offshore Angola. Cobalt has an option to drill up to two additional wells. The Ocean Confidence rig has a base operating rate of $360,000 per day. Cobalt anticipates the rig to be mobilized to Angola in the first quarter, 2011, depending upon when the current operator of the rig concludes its drilling operations.

Cobalt’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph H. Bryant, said “The execution of the Ocean Confidence Rig Contract is an important step in advancing our exploration program in the deepwater offshore Angola. We worked closely with Sonangol and the Block 21/09 contractor group to design a drilling program according to acceptable safety standards.”

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Source: Cobaltintl, November  15, 2010;