ConocoPhillips has taken a three-year contract for the ENSCO DS-9 drillship, currently under construction at the Samsung Heavy Industries, Co. Ltd. (SHI) Shipyard in Geoje, South Korea.
The ENSCO DS-9 is a Samsung GF12000 hull design, 755ft x 125ft, with DP3 station-keeping capability, featuring retractable thrusters. It will be equipped to work in water to 10,000ft deep, upgradable to 12,000ft, and drill to 40,000ft TD.
This drillship is the first exercised option of two options that Ensco plc negotiated with SHI as part of the contract to build ENSCO DS-8 in April 2012, for about US$645million.
The ConocoPhillips contract will begin 3Q 2015, and run through 3Q 2018, with two one-year options. Ensco says the mobilization cost will be about US$32million, and the lease day rate is in the low $550,000 range.
Ensco says "ConocoPhillips is a new customer of our ultra-deepwater drillships. This contract adds more than $600 million to revenue backlog."
ConocoPhillips plans to use the vessel in the US Gulf of Mexico.
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