Noble finds work for two idle drillships

Offshore driller Noble Corporation has been awarded contracts for two of its idle drillships. 

According to Noble’s latest fleet status report issued on Thursday, the 2013-built drillship Noble Don Taylor has been awarded a contract by Talos in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The deal with Talos starts in early November 2018 and ends in mid-January 2019.

The dayrate has not been disclosed but Noble said that the rig will collect a dayrate over the defined contract period in addition to the idle dayrate of $420,000 in accordance with Shell’s decision from September to idle the rig for the remainder of its contract, or 183 days ending February 25, 2019.

Over in Europe, the 2013-built drillship Noble Globetrotter II has won a contract with French Total for operations offshore Bulgaria. The contract starts in early November 2018 and ends in early January 2019 with an undisclosed dayrate.

This is not Noble Globetrotter II’s first gig for Total in Bulgaria as the drillship also drilled in the Black Sea for Total in late 2017. After that, it was warm stacked in Bulgaria in January 2018.

The rig will collect a dayrate over the defined contract period in addition to the $185,000 idle rate to be paid by Shell paid through December 2018.

To remind, Shell in December 2016 exercised its right to idle the Noble Globetrotter II, which was operating under 10-year term contract, for a period of up to 730 days, starting January 2017. It was agreed for Shell to pay the rate of $185,000 per day during that idle period.

Offshore Energy Today Staff