New rig contracts pour in for Ensco

UK-based offshore driller Ensco has found work for a number of its jack-up as well as semi-submersible drilling rigs in the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Australia, and Qatar. 

According to the driller’s latest fleet status report issued on Thursday, two semi-submersible drilling rigs have been awarded contracts in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

Namely, the 2010-built Ensco 8503 drilling rig has won a one-well contract with Talos Energy in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico following completion of its current operations in Mexico. The rig’s contract now expires in October 2017.

Talos recently made what it claimed to be a world class, historic oil discovery of more than a billion barrels, offshore Mexico. The Zama-1 exploration well in Block 7 was drilled with the Ensco 8503 semi-sub.

Further, the 2012-built Ensco 8505 rig has been awarded a one-well contract with Apache in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico that started in July 2017. The one-well contract is set to end this month.

When it comes to Ensco floaters, the driller also recently won three drillship contracts offshore West Africa, representing an aggregate three years of contracted term and more than six additional years of options.

Jack-ups

Next up are jack-up contracts. Ensco said in the report that the 2013-built jack-up Ensco 120 had secured a three-year contract with ConocoPhillips in the UK sector of the North Sea that started in July. The contract is firm until July 2020 and it includes two one-year options.

Another North Sea gig has been secured by the 2014-built jack-up Ensco 122, which will start next September and end in January 2018. The contract also includes various options through December 2020. The rig is currently under contract with Ithaca in the UK but come September and the rig will go work in the Dutch sector of the North Sea for NAM.

Also in the Dutch North Sea, the contract for the 1981-built Ensco 72 has been extended by one well to October 2017. The rig is working for Engie.

Over in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the 2002-built jack-up rig Ensco 102 has been awarded a 400-day contract with Arena that is expected to start in November 2017 until December 2018. The contract also includes one 90-day option.

Further in the Gulf of Mexico, the 1982-built Ensco 87 has been awarded a one-well contract with Renaissance that started in July 2017 and ends in August.

Down in Australia, the 2006-built Ensco 107 has won a one-month contract extension which ends in August. The dayrate is approx. $129,000. The rig has been with Chevron since October last year.

Finally, the jack-up rig Ensco 110, built in 2015, has secured a three-year contract with North Oil Company offshore Qatar that is expected to start next month. The contract also includes one 1-year priced option.

Ensco is on track to become the world’s largest jack-up operator once its acquisition of U.S. rival driller, Atwood Oceanics, is complete. After the acquisition, Ensco’s fleet will be expanded by six ultra-deepwater floaters, and five high-specification jack-ups.

Offshore Energy Today Staff