Rig Count News


Valaris Sells Jackup to BW Energy

May 05, 2025

Valaris has agreed to sell jack-up drilling rig VALARIS 247 to BW Energy for cash proceeds of approximately $108 million.The sale is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. As part of the sales agreement…

Valaris Lines Up Five-Well Drilling Job off West Africa for High-Spec Drillship

May 05, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Valaris has secured a $135 million contract for its Valaris DS-15 drillship, which will be put to work offshore West Africa.The five-well contract with an undisclosed client is expected to start in the third quarter 2026…

ADNOC Drilling Nets $806M for Three New Island Rigs for Zakum Offshore Field

May 05, 2025

ADNOC Drilling has been awarded a contract for three island rigs by ADNOC Offshore, valued approximately $806 million, to support expanding operations at the offshore Zakum development project.The three rigs are in addition to three ordered in July 2024…

Rig Retirements Set to Rise as Utilization Falls to Lowest Level Since 2021

May 04, 2025

The offshore rig market recovery appears to have taken a pause, with demand tapering off and marketed utilization hitting the lowest levels recorded since recovery began in 2021. A variety of factors have contributed to this – including Saudi…

The Future of Long-Idle Drillships: Cold-Stacked or Dead-Stacked?

May 02, 2025

Noble Corporation’s recent decision to sell the Pacific Meltem and Pacific Scirocco for non-drilling purposes highlights a key issue in the drillship market: What happens to cold-stacked rigs that are unlikely to return to work? With the floater…

Valaris Lifts Contract Backlog for its Drilling Rigs to $4.2B

May 01, 2025

Offshore drilling company Valaris has secured over $1 billion of new contracts and extension for its drilling rigs since its previous fleet status report published mid-February 2025.Valaris’ contract backlog, excluding lump sum payments such as mobilization fees and capital reimbursements…

Rex’s Akrake Signs Deal for Production Vessels at Seme Field off Benin

Apr 29, 2025

Akrake Petroleum, Rex International's indirect subsidiary, has signed contracts for a Mobile Production Unit (MOPU) and an Aframax tanker to be used as a Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) unit for its Seme field, off Benin.The MOPU will be converted from a medium-sized drilling rig…

Norway Grants Drilling Permit for Aker BP’s Wildcat Well in North Sea

Apr 29, 2025

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Aker BP a drilling permit for a wildcat well in the North Sea.The permit is for wellbore 25/1-14 in production license 873 B, which is operated by Aker BP, with a 47.7% working interest.Aside from Aker BP…

Noble Reports Strong Outlook, New Contracts

Apr 28, 2025

Noble Corporation has reported that its contract drilling services revenue for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $832 million compared to $882 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, with the sequential decrease driven primarily by the benefit…

Chuditch Gas Field Up for Summer Drilling Ops as Sunda Reshapes Ownership Structure

Apr 24, 2025

Sunda Energy, the AIM-quoted exploration and appraisal company focused on gas assets in Southeast Asia, has entered into a series of agreements for the funding of the drilling campaign on the Chuditch gas field, offshore Timor-Leste, which is now targeted for summer 2025…

Fugro Cuts More Jobs, Shifts Focus to Different Business Segments

Apr 24, 2025

Dutch geological data specialist Fugro it would cut more jobs and shift focus to different business segments after confirming a drop in first-quarter revenue on Thursday, hit by a pause in new U.S. offshore wind projects.The company also cited a highly volatile global market environment…

Vantage Drilling Lines Up $80M Job for Platinum Explorer Drillship

Apr 23, 2025

Offshore drilling contractor Vantage Drilling has received a conditional letter of award (CLOA) for the Platinum Explorer ultra-deepwater drillship, valued at approximately $80 million.The CLOA, with an undisclosed client and 90-day validity period…

Hanwha Drilling’s Tidal Action Drillship En Route to Petrobras’ Roncador Field

Apr 22, 2025

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…

Appraisal Well Confirms Bourdon’s Potential for New Development Cluster off Gabon

Apr 22, 2025

BW Energy has confirmed the substantial oil discovery with good reservoir and fluid quality at an appraisal well in the Bourdon Prospect offshore Gabon, reaffirming the potential of establishing a new development cluster in the area.According to BW Energy…

Strategic Marine Delivers Another Fast Crew Boat to Truth Marine Services

Apr 21, 2025

Singaporean aluminum boat builder Strategic Marine has delivered another fast crew boat (FCB) to Truth Maritime Services (TMS) in Thailand.Following the successful handover of the first two Gen 4 FCBs, TMS RANOD and TMS RAMAN, in 2024, these…

Current News

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Vallourec Brings CNOOC, Petrochina as New Clients in Iraq

Germany’s SEFE Inks Three-Year LNG Supply Deal with ADNOC

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