Transocean rig embarks on its Gulf of America drilling job with BP

An ultra-deepwater drillship, owned by the Switzerland-based offshore drilling contractor Transocean, has kicked off its assignment with the UK-headquartered energy giant BP in the Gulf of America, formerly the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The rig owner’s Deepwater Invictus drillship won a 1095-day deal with BP last year, which came with a day rate of $485,000, contributing approximately $531 million in backlog, excluding additional services and a mobilization fee.

While confirming the start of this assignment in the U.S. Gulf, the Swiss giant highlighted: “The Deepwater Invictus has begun operations for BP, and this team is ready.

“Transocean and BP team members recently wrapped up a comprehensive engagement session at our Houston corporate office focused on building a safety-first, high-performance culture. Great work, Team Invictus.”

The 2014-built Deepwater Invictus DSME 12000 ultra-deepwater drillship is capable of operating at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) of water depth and drilling up to depths of 40,000 feet (12,192 meters).

BP, which disclosed an underlying replacement cost (RC) profit of $1.38 billion in Q1 2025, is busy with many hydrocarbon projects around the globe, including its gas project off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, for which it booked Subsea Integration Alliance (SIA) earlier this month.

Meanwhile, one of Transocean’s rigs recently came to Australia to search for more natural gas in the Otway Basin, thanks to an assignment with ConocoPhillips.