UK: Ensco Takes Delivery of ENSCO 8504 Ultra-Deepwater Rig

Ensco plc announced today that it has taken delivery of ENSCO 8504, the fifth of the seven ENSCO 8500 Series rigs constructed by Keppel FELS Limited in Singapore.

After mobilizing to Brunei to complete deepwater sea trials and final outfitting, ENSCO 8504 will commence a previously announced drilling contract with Total E&P Deep Offshore Borneo B.V.

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Rabun commented, “We are very pleased that Total has chosen ENSCO 8504 for its drilling program. Our 8500 Series rigs have performed extremely well for our customers and we are realizing significant benefits from the uniform design and standardization across the entire series.”

Mr. Rabun added, “Brunei is an emerging deepwater basin and we look forward to entering this market and expanding our relationship with Total.”

The proprietary design of the ENSCO 8500 Series was developed with extensive input from customers to address the drilling requirements for virtually every deepwater field around the world. The design includes a 35,000’ nominal rated drilling depth, two million pounds of hoisting capacity, 8,000 tons of variable deck load and an open layout well suited for subsea completion activities. Improved visibility from the open deck configuration also enhances safety.

The uniform design of the ENSCO 8500 Series streamlines operational functionality, repairs, training, spare part requirements and maintenance, while also providing flexibility for customer specific enhancements. In particular, the 8500 Series may be modified to drill and complete wells in water depths up to 10,000’.

Two additional ENSCO 8500 Series rigs are under construction with deliveries scheduled for the first and second half of next year. Ensco has the world’s newest ultra-deepwater drilling fleet comprised of drillships and semisubmersibles that operate in multiple markets around the globe, including Brazil, West Africa, U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean and Asia.

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Source: Ensco, August 09, 2011