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KCA DEUTAG recognized DRILLING by Marathon, BP awards CONTRACTOR The Well Engineering Services Division of KCA DEUTAG has won 2 client awards from Marathon Oil and BP. CONTRACTOR NEWS Marathon Oil awarded KCA DEUTAG the HES (Health, Environment, Safety) Sub Group Contractor of the Year Award for its performance providing wireline serv- wins multiple long-term ices to Marathon’s offshore Ireland oper- ations in the Celtic Sea. extensions, 5-year newbuild contract The selection was based on 4 factors — visible leadership by management, effec- tive communications, the presence of an established and proactive HSE program and actual safety statistics. KCA DEUTAG also won an award in the same category in Marathon’s European Business Unit finals and was runner-up in the worldwide awards. Roger Hodgson, KCA DEUTAG’s Head of Well Engineering Services, said, “Recognition by a client in this manner reflects KCA-DEUTAG’s ongoing commit- ment to delivering incident-free opera- tions.” Separately, KCA DEUTAG and sub-con- Transocean’s deepwater drillship the Discoverer Deep Seas was recently awarded a 2-year contract tractor ISS have received a Shah Deniz President’s Award from BP in recogni- extension by Chevron. That’s expected to commence in January 2008 after scheduled maintenance. tion of their contribution to the Shah Deniz Gas Export Project in Azerbaijan. TRANSOCEAN INC RECENTLY sion could total $522 million. announced several multi-year contract The award was presented in recognition Both the and the extensions as well as a 5-year contract of the snubbing package stack up, func- Discoverer Frontier are capable of oper- for a newbuild. tion testing, dismantling and storage ating in water depths of up to 10,000 ft. project undertaken at the Zykh site in BP American Production has awarded Baku. The operation was completed on the company’s 5th-generation deepwater Additionally, Transocean recently schedule in February, with no incidents drillship Discoverer Enterprise a 3-year announced a 5-year contract for a new- reported. contract extension, expected to com- build and 2 multi-year contract exten- sions from Chevron Corp. mence in December 2007. This is in direct Additionally, KCA DEUTAG Drilling continuation of the rig’s current contract, An enhanced Enterprise-class drillship, Norge AS announced that its contract also with BP. to be named the , with Hydro for production drilling servic- es on 6 of its fixed installations on the The Discoverer Enterprise is expected to will be built in South Korea over an esti- Norwegian continental shelf has been be used in the US , with mated 30-month period for approximately extended for 2 years to 1 July 2008. The possible revenues of $569 million over the $650 million. The rig, which will be capa- contract is worth approximately NOK 900 3-year contract period. ble of drilling in water depths up to 12,000 ft, should begin working for Chevron in million (about US $138 million) and is the Transocean also has won a 3-year con- the second quarter of 2009. first of three 2-year options on the 6 plat- tract extension from Reliance Indus- forms. I tries for another of its 5th-generation Chevron has also awarded a 2-year and a 1 deepwater drillships, Deepwater Fron- 2 /2-year extension to the deepwater drill- Maersk Contractors opens tier, for drilling operations offshore India. ship Discoverer Deep Seas and the deep- representation office in Houston The contract is expected to begin around water semisubmersible Cajun Express, December 2008, following completion of respectively. The Discoverer Deep Seas Aiming to ensure fast and efficient com- its current operations offshore Brazil, a extension is expected to begin in January munication with US clients, Maersk scheduled 90-day out-of-service time and 2008, and the other in July 2007. Contractors has established a perma- nent presence in Houston. Beginning in an existing 2-year contract commitment Combined revenues possible from the 3 April, Chris Bailey is assuming the posi- with Reliance. agreements total approximately $1.7 bil- 1 tion of Business Development Manager lion over 10 /2 years. I Revenues possible over the 3-year exten- for North America. I

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Rowan awarded consecutive contracts ROWAN COMPANIES announced it Rowan estimates that minimum drilling has been awarded consecutive drilling revenues from these contracts will be contracts from 2 UK-based oil and gas approximately $127 million. Revenues companies for its Super Gorilla-class could be as high as $311 million if all jackup rig Gorilla VI. The jobs are for extension options are exercised. work in the North Sea beginning in early 2007. Gorilla VI is scheduled to complete “We are pleased for this opportunity to operations offshore eastern Canada dur- move our third Super Gorilla to the North ing the fourth quarter of 2006, when it Sea, joining Gorillas V and VII. These will be located to the North Sea. contracts evidence our commitment to strategically relocate Rowan’s fleet to Collectively, the contracts specify a mini- those areas providing the highest mum of 420 days of work and contain returns,” said Danny McNease, Rowan options for an additional 530 days. Chairman and CEO.

Parker Drilling picks up contracts for 3 rigs Unit Drilling Company’s Rig 112, drilling for PARKER DRILLING COMPANY recently announced that 2 of its land Chevron in Wyoming, has worked for 7 continu- rigs and 1 barge rig have been award- ous years without an OSHA recordable incident. ed contracts to operate in Bangladesh, Texas and the US Gulf of Mexico. Unit Drilling rig achieves Land rig 121 was awarded a 1-year record of 7 years without contract by Golden Gate Petroleum Ltd for work on Padre Island, located OSHA recordable incident in Texas on the Gulf of Mexico coast- line. Operations are scheduled to Unit Drilling Company’s Rig 112 has begin this month following completion worked for more than 7 years without an of the rig’s current contract in Mexico OSHA recordable incident, the company and mobilization to Texas. Land rig announced. 121 is a 2,000 hp rig capable of drilling to 20,000 ft. The IDECO E3000 rig, built in the early 1960s, is capable of drilling up to 30,000 ft Parker land rig 225 also recently and has been working for Chevron in rigged up in Bangladesh’s Bangora Wyoming throughout the 7-year period. field under a 2-well contract for Tul- low Bangladesh Ltd. The well pro- “It’s a rig where the people have made gram is expected to last for approxi- Parker land rig 225 recently rigged up in the difference as opposed to modern mately 6 months, and the contract Bangladesh’s Bangora field. equipment and automation,” said Rick includes options for 2 additional wells. Heck, Unit Drilling’s Director of Safety, Rig 225, which mobilized from an inac- tracts for its barge rig 12 by Gulfport Health & Environment. “This record is a tive status in Indonesia, is a 2,000 hp Energy Corp for work in the West Cote tribute to the crews who have taken own- rig capable of drilling to 20,000 ft. Blanche and Hackberry bays, off the ership of the safety of themselves and Louisiana coast. The rig was recently each other. Everyone at Unit Drilling is Additionally, Parker Drilling was upgraded from a workover to a deep tremendously proud of this achieve- awarded 3 consecutive 2-month con- drilling barge rig. ment.” Atwood Oceanics wins 2-year contract, executes LOI to build new jackup

ATWOOD OCEANICS announced that which should extend to October 2006. has executed a letter of intent with Kep- the Vicksburg, owned and operated by its After completion of these commitments, pel AmFELS for the construction of a wholly owned subsidiary Atwood Ocean- the rig will be moved to Cambodia to com- mobile self-elevating LeTourneau SUPER ics Pacific Ltd, has been awarded a 2- mence the 8-month contract with 116 jackup. year contract by Chevron Overseas Chevron, followed by the 2-year contract Premium (Thailand) Ltd. It will imme- in Thailand. The operating dayrate for The new rig would be constructed at the diately follow Chevron’s existing 8-month the first 8 months with Chevron offshore Keppel AmFELS yard in Brownsville, drilling commitment offshore Cambodia. Cambodia will be $94,500, and a dayrate Texas, and delivery is expected no later The Vicksburg is currently working in of $154,000 will apply for the 2-year con- than 30 Sept 2008. Estimated total cost of Malaysia under drilling commitments tract. construction is between $150 million to with dayrates of $82,000 to $87,000, $160 million. Atwood recently also announced that it

68 DRILLING CONTRACTOR May/June 2006