Noble to delay damaged newbuild, adjust dayrates

Noble Corp. anticipates the Noble Lloyd Noble newbuild jackup to have a delivery delay from the Sembcorp Marine Tanjong Kling shipyard, in addition to a delayed delivery date to Statoil due to damage endured to the rig last month.  

The Noble Sam Croft, from Noble.

According to the company’s fleet status report, an initial investigation into the cause of the incident has been completed and damage is believed to be confined to a crane on board the rig and some cabling.

“Based on these findings, the company currently expects delivery of the rig from the shipyard to be delayed an estimated 30 to 60 days, to early-to-mid Q3 2016. Delivery to our customer is now expected in early-to-mid Q4 2016,” Noble said.

The incident, which injured three workers, occurred when a shore crane at Sembcorp’s Tanjong Kling yard was lifting a bundle of scaffold planks from Noble Lloyd Noble to the quayside. During the lifting operation, the boom of the crane came into contact with another crane on the rig, damaging the latter.

Earlier this month, Sembcorp released a statement that said the company did not expect the damage to Noble Corp.'s newbuild jackup to delay the delivery of the Noble Lloyd Noble in Q2 2016. 

As for Noble’s Noble Sam Croft and Noble Tom Madden drillships remain under contract with Freeport-McMoRan until July 2017, and November 2017, respectively.

Due to Freeport-McMoRan’s decision to idle three of its drillships in the Gulf of Mexico, which the company announced in late-January, Noble said the company is “willing to discuss restructuring existing contracts with customers provided it is done in a mutually beneficial manner and in recognition of Noble’s existing contractual rights.”

In addition, Saudi Aramco’s contract rates were adjusted for 2015, along with rates on rigs with other drilling companies. Those rigs include the Noble Scott Marks, Noble Roger Lewis, Noble Joe Beall, and Noble Gene House jackups.

“Given current market conditions, the company is currently finalizing discussions with the customer to determine operating rates for 2016,” Noble said.

This week, Hercules Offshore was also notified by Saudi Aramco of its intentions to reduce dayrates for three of its jackups.

Read more:

No delay for damaged Noble newbuild

Freeport-McMoRan idle in GoM

Freeport-McMoRan down to one GoM rig

Aramco cuts Hercules dayrates

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