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D EPARTMENTS

DRILLING & COMPLETION N EWS

BP makes 15th discovery in ultra-deepwater Angola block Rowan jackup moving SONANGOL AND BP have announced west of Luanda, and reached 5,678 m TVD to Middle East to drill the Portia oil discovery in ultra-deepwater below sea level. This is the fourth discovery offshore Saudi Arabia Block 31, offshore Angola. Portia is the 15th in Block 31 where the exploration well has discovery that BP has drilled in Block 31. been drilled through salt to access the oil- ROWAN COMPANIES’ Bob The well is approximately 7 km north of the bearing sandstone reservoir beneath. W ell Keller jackup has been awarded a Titania discovery . Portia was drilled in a test results confirmed the capacity of the three-year drilling contract, which water depth of 2,012 m, some 386 km north- reservoir to flow in excess of 5,000 bbl/day . includes an option for a fourth year, for work offshore Saudi Arabia. The Bob Keller recently concluded work Pride drillships in the and is en route to the Middle East. It is expected awarded contracts to commence drilling operations during Q2 2008. Rowan re-entered by BP, the Middle East market two years ago after a 25-year absence. This PRIDE INTERNATIONAL HAS contract expands its presence in the announced two multi-year contracts for area to nine jackups. two ultra-deepwater drillships. First, a five-year contract with a BP subsidiary Rowan also has announced a multi- will allow Pride to expand its deepwater well contract with McMoRan Oil & drilling operations and geographic reach Gas Corp that includes re-entering in deepwater drilling basins to the US the Blackbeard Prospect. The Gulf of Mexico . The contract is for a ultra- Gorilla IV has been committed for deepwater drillship under construction at a minimum of 90 days, and work the Samsung shipyard in South Korea. on Blackbeard is priced at a day- Scheduled for delivery during Q1 2010, rate in the mid-$190s. The initial the rig will be capable of drilling in water Blackbeard well was drilled to a depths up to 12,000 ft (equipped for 10,000 depth of just over 30,000 ft during feet) and drilling to a total vertical depth 2005-06 by Rowan’s first Tarzan of up to 40,000 f t . Class jackup, the Scooter Yeargain. The second contract is with a Petrobras Additionally, Rowan’s Super Gorilla subsidiary, for the construction and class jackup, the Bob Palmer, is operation of an advanced-capability, undergoing final preparations for its ultra-deepwater drillship in support of initial assignment on BP ’s Eldorado Petrobras’ international exploration and Pride International’s deepwater semi Pride Prospect. The rig will drill one or development drilling projects. The rig, to more wells targeting a depth of at Portland has been awarded a 6-year con- be constructed at the Samsung shipyard , least 28,000 ft. is expected to be delivered in Q1 2011 . tract extension from Petrobras. The contract allows Petrobras to elect, by StatoilHydro to drill first 31 January 2010, a firm contract term of six years per rig, are expected to com- offshore prospect as at least five years and up to seven years . mence during late 2010 to early 2011, in direct continuation of each rig’s current operator in Canada Separately, Pride has announced contract contract commitment and a scheduled STATOILHYDRO WILL DRILL extensions from Petrobras for deepwater shipyard program. The rigs have operated its first offshore prospect as opera- semis Pride and Pride offshore for Petrobras since enter- tor in Canada in Q4 2008, at the Portland. The extensions, representing ing service in 2004. Mizzen prospect off the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. H&P to build 11 more FlexRigs to work in US, Latin America will participate in the exploration well . A rig-sharing HELMERICH & PAYNE will construct pleted and mobilized at the rate of one per contract with Petro-Canada and 11 additional FlexRigs to operate under month beginning in fiscal Q4 2008. Five are Husky will allow StatoilHydro long-term contracts. Four are scheduled to expected to operate under five-year term to bring in ’s Henry operate in the US and seven more in Latin contracts and the remaining two under Goodrich rig for the operation. It is American locations. three-year term contracts. The name of the expected to arrive in Newfoundland customer was not disclosed. The four to operate in the US are sched- this summer. The Mizzen prospect uled to be deployed in the Barnett Shale FlexRigs are expected to represent almost is located in block EL 1049 in during 2008. Two will work for Quicksilver 70% of the company’s global land fleet by the Flemish Pass Basin offshore Resources and two for Carrizo Oil & Gas . the end of calendar 2008. Newfoundland and Labrador in The other seven are scheduled to be com- 1,100 m water depth.

12 March/April 2008 DRILLIN G CONTRACTOR D EPARTMENTS

DRILLING & COMPLETION N EWS

1st of 4 high-efficiency Maersk jackups delivered

KEPPEL FELS HAS completed the Maersk Resilient, the first of four identical jackups for Maersk Contractors . The MSC CJ 50 design rig is capable of operating in water depths up to 350 ft and is designed to be 20% more efficient than conventional jackups. “ High efficiency and safety have been the key drivers in the design of these new rigs, and we look forward to proving their quali- ties in operation,” said Maersk Contractors CEO Claus V Hemmingsen. “The delivery of this new design cements our position as a leader within advanced jackup rigs.” The rig’s first assignment is a three- The ENSCO 8500 is seen under construction at the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singa- year contract with Dubai pore. ENSCO is building 4 ultra-deepwater semis in 8500 Series. Establishment in the . ENSCO enters letter of intent for new Usan field offshore semisubmersible in ENSCO 8500 Series to be developed CHEVRON NIGERIA DEEPWATER ENSCO INTERNATIONAL has ENSCO 8503 is the company’s fourth and its co-venturers are moving forward to entered a letter of intent for a ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rig develop the offshore Usan field in Nigeria, contract for ENSCO 8503, an ultra- in the ENSCO 8500 Series under con- expected to “ generate significant new pro- deepwater semi under construction. struction and will increase its deep- duction from West Africa’s deep water,” said The contemplated contract will be for water fleet to five rigs, inclusive of the Ali Moshiri, president, Chevron Africa a two-year term, with an option for ENSCO 7500 deepwater semi . All four and Latin America E&P. Discovered in extension . The aggregate dayrate rev- of the 8500 Series rigs are under con- 2002, the Usan Field is located at a water enue for the two-year term is expect- struction at the Keppel FELS ship- depth of 2,461 ft (750 m), approximately 62 ed to be approximately $372 million. yard in Singapore . Delivery for the miles (100 km ) off the coast in the eastern The base operating rate is $510,000/ ENSCO 8503 is expected in Q3 2010. . First production is expected in day , and the dayrate will be subject to The 8500 Series rigs will be capable late 2011, with peak production of 180,000 adjustment for variances in operating of drilling in up to 8,500 ft of water, bbl/day . Chevron’s co-venturers are Elf costs from current levels. and can be upgraded to 10,000 ft . Petroleum Nigeria , E&P Nigeria and Nexen Petroleum Nigeria . Transocean announces contract extensions orders new TRANSOCEAN HAS announced a Explorer will drill a series of explora- jackup from Keppel FELS three-year contract extension for the tion wells in a deepwater province in ultra-deepwater drillship Deepwater . The rig was constructed KEPPEL FELS WILL build a third KFELS Millennium from Anadarko in 1972 and upgraded in 1998 and is B Class jackup for PetroVietnam Drilling Petroleum , commencing in June capable of working in water depths Investment (PVD Invest), a subsidiary of 2010. The rig is one of 34 high-spec- up to 7,800 ft. The contract is expect- PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services ification floaters in the Transocean ed to commence in Q4 2009. (PV Drilling) . PVD Invest’s second rig, PV fleet, 13 of which are ultra-deepwater Drilling II, is already under construction Additionally, Transocean has agreed floaters. It is capable of operating in at Keppel FELS. Both the second and third to sell three of its US Gulf of Mexico water depths up to 10,000 ft. rigs are scheduled for delivery in Q4 2009. jackup rigs and related equipment for Separately, Transocean has $320 million to Hercules Offshore. “It is estimated that there will be some 900 announced the award of a 689-day The sales of the GSF Adriatic III, GSF exploration wells in Vietnam over the next contract by a consortium headed by High Island I and GSF High Island 15 years. We want to position ourselves to Marathon International Petroleum VIII will mark Transocean’s exit from capture this market,” said Do Van Khanh, Indonesia . Under the contract, the shallow-water area of the US CEO of PV Drilling and chairman of PVD the ultra-deepwater drillship GSF GOM . Invest.

14 March/April 2008 DRILLIN G CONTRACTOR