Noble drillship gets new job in Gulf of Mexico

Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation has secured a new contract for one of its seventh-generation drillships in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

According to Noble, the Noble Valiant drillship won a six-month contract with LLOG to perform drilling services in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The rig owner explains that this deal is expected to start between November 2023 and March 2024 in direct continuation of the rig’s current contract. The contract comes with a higher day rate, as the clean operating day rate is $470,000, excluding mobilisation rates and a potential fee for any use of managed pressure drilling (MPD).

Blake Denton, SVP of Marketing & Contracts, commented: “We are delighted to continue to support LLOG’s operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The relationship with LLOG is very important to us, and we look forward to building on the successful performance of the Noble Faye Kozack which is currently working for LLOG. The Noble Valiant crew looks forward to demonstrating their experience and relentless commitment to delivering safe and efficient drilling services.”

The 2013-built Noble Valiant is currently working for Kosmos Energy in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico under a day rate of $450,000. The rig started this assignment in July 2023 and is expected to complete it this month. This contract was moved from the Noble Faye Kozack rig.

Furthermore, the Noble Valiant drillship is slated to complete a one-well contract in the Gulf of Mexico with an undisclosed operator from September 2023 to November 2023 under the same day rate as the one with Kosmos, prior to kicking off the work scope for LLOG.

The Noble Valiant is a high-specification drillship of Samsung 96K design, which can accommodate 230 people. With a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 ft, it can operate in water depths of 12,000 ft. The drillship was previously on an assignment in Suriname with TotalEnergies from March 2021 until May 2023.