Jackups News

 

From Regional Champion to Global Powerhouse: Inside ADES and Shelf Drilling Fleet Merger

Oct 24, 2025

ADES is the largest jackup drilling contractor globally, with 44 rigs owned, and four under its management, and a fleet valued at $1.98 - $2.2 billion. Shelf Drilling, also among the TOP 5 jackup drilling contractors, has a modern 32-rig competitive fleet valued at $1.42 - $1.57 billion. Now, through a NOK 3.9 billion ($380 million) all-cash transaction, the two are forming a combined entity that not only redefines scale but marks a shift in global offshore drilling power…

Caspian Sea Jackup Market: Locked-In Supply Shapes Utilization and Dayrates

Mar 09, 2026

Unlike larger jackup regions where scale provides greater flexibility, relatively minor changes in supply can have an outsized impact. The availability, reactivation, or retirement of a single rig can materially shift utilisation levels, dayrate negotiations…

Offshore Rig Outlook: As 2025 Challenges Fade, Path Ahead Brightens

Jan 02, 2026

While challenges linger from the 2025 offshore rig market, there are signs it will look brighter from late 2026 onwards.Main Events of 2025One of the biggest talking points of 2024 and 2025 was Saudi Aramco’s suspension of 36 jackups from April 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…

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…

Offshore Drilling 2025: 3 Things to Watch During a Year of Market Corrections

Dec 24, 2024

2024 has been another strong year for the offshore drilling rig market with high utilization and dayrates. However, the winds of change have started to blow, and the market is already showing some signs of weakening demand and declining dayrates across the three main rig types – jackups…

Impending Shortage of Jackups within Ageing Asia Pacific Fleet

Oct 24, 2024

While utilization for marketed jackup rigs is at a healthy 100% in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, it is an ageing fleet that will ultimately be unable to fulfil operator age requirements.Westwood’s RigLogix records 39 marketed jackups in APAC…

Saudi Aramco Jackup Suspensions: The Story So Far…

Jun 25, 2024

Saudi Aramco’s ambitious post-Covid jackup fleet expansion program, in which the operator looked to increase its fleet size from approximately 49 jackups in June 2022 to 90 in just two years, seemed a daring feat. But fast forward to March 2024…

Esgian Week 20 Report: Update on Saudi Suspensions

May 19, 2024

Esgian provides an update on Saudi suspensions in its Week 20 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsDrilling contractor Arabian Drilling confirmed that the suspension of three contracts for its jackups with Saudi Aramco have yet…

Dayrates Rise - Will More Energy Companies Buy Offshore Rigs?

Apr 25, 2024

The price to rent an offshore rig hit a nine-year high last year with jackups, semisubmersibles and drillships costing on average $118,000, $368,000 and $419,000, respectively (as of 31 December 2023). These figures represent an overall 54% increase in dayrates when compared with 2021…

Esgian Week 14 Report: Major Jackup Contract Suspensions

Apr 07, 2024

Esgian reports various drilling contractors disclosing details of discussions with Saudi Aramco regarding jackup contract suspensions in its Week 14 Rig Analytics Market Roundup. These contractors include Shelf Drilling, ADES, Borr Drilling…

Esgian Week 2 Report: New Work Secured

Jan 14, 2024

It was a busy week in the offshore drilling sector as new work was secured by Noble and Valaris rigs, reports Esgian in its Week 2 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.ContractsLLOG has exercised a six-month option for Noble 12,000-ft drillship Noble Valiant in the US GOM…

The Rig Market: What’s in Store in ’24?

Dec 20, 2023

2023 has been another noteworthy year for the rig market’s ongoing recovery, with a 3% increase in global marketed utilization versus 2022, a demand increase of 29 rigs, a 7% uptick in average contract duration, 16 further reactivations and newbuild deliveries…

Noble Corp. Wins Contracts for Six Offshore Drilling Rigs

Nov 01, 2023

Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corp. on Tuesday released a fleet status report, according to which the company has secured contracts for six offshore drilling rigs since its previous fleet report issued on August 2, 2023.The company has secured contracts for three drillships—the Noble Valiant…

Seatrium Delivers New Jackup Rig to ADNOC Drilling

Aug 22, 2023

Singaporean shipbuilder Seatrium New Energy, formerly Keppel FELS, on Tuesday announced it has delivered a new jackup rig to the UAE's ADNOC Drilling.The rig, named AlSila, is among five that Seatrium had been building for Borr Drilling. In 2022…

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