Tidal Action ultra-deepwater drillship has embarked on a voyage from South Korea to Brazil to start its maiden job at Petrobras’ Roncador field.
The drillship has been officially handed over by its owner Hanwha Ocean to its subsidiary Hanwha Drilling, established in 2024 as its drillship fleet operator.
Tidal Action, built on Hanwha Ocean’s proprietary design, is capable of drilling at depths of up to 12 kilometers in waters as deep as 3.6 kilometers. It also marks the company’s entry into deepwater drilling market.
The drillship is also equipped with a dynamic positioning system for a stable station keeping and ready to accommodate 20,000 psi blowout preventers for enhanced safety and operational efficiency.
Its first drilling operation is scheduled to begin in the Roncador field during the third quarter of 2025 for Petrobras, under the $500 million agreement signed between Brazil’s state run oil firm, Hanwha Drilling and its partner, Constellation Oil Services Holding, which acts as a third-party manager of the drillship.
The contract will last for 30 months, with some optional periods.
“I am very proud of the successful of delivery and firmly believe Tidal Action will very soon be one of the best performing rigs in the world. I sincerely appreciate the dedication and commitment of the employees and partners of Hanwha Drilling, Hanwha Ocean and Constellation,” said Clay Coan, CEO of Hanwha Drilling.