woohoo, 3 rigs, 19 years worth combined for $4B!!!
[B]Hamilton, Bermuda, July 25, 2012 -[/B] Seadrill has received a commitment from a major oil company for new contracts on newbuild drillships West Auriga, West Vela and a third drilling unit currently in operation, which will be named later. The combined 3 rig package involves 19 rig years and a potential contract value of US$4 billion, including mobilization fees for the newbuild units.
West Auriga and West Vela are currently under construction at Samsung Shipyard in Korea. The newbuild units will commence transits to the Gulf of Mexico upon delivery from the yard, scheduled for late February and May 2013. Start-up of operations are scheduled for September and December 2013. The West Auriga and West Vela are the fourth and fifth drillships delivered to Seadrill by Samsung in the last 4 years. Each rig will be equipped with 1250 ton load capacity, an active heave compensated subsea construction crane and two 7 ram blow out preventers.
Alf C Thorkildsen, Chief Executive Officer in Seadrill Management AS, says, "The breadth and depth of this commitment from a major oil company is the result of our track record of delivering rigs on time, operating with a competent workforce and having the availability of a modern fleet. We are excited about the opportunity to further grow our fleet and operations in the US Gulf of Mexico, which we consider as one of the most cost effective drilling regions. In addition, the term of the contracts fits well with Seadrill financing plans including the potential use of MLP financing.
[QUOTE=userGOM;75930]woohoo, 3 rigs, 19 years worth combined for $4B!!!
[B]Hamilton, Bermuda, July 25, 2012 -[/B] Seadrill has received a commitment from a major oil company for new contracts on newbuild drillships West Auriga, West Vela and a third drilling unit currently in operation, which will be named later. The combined 3 rig package involves 19 rig years and a potential contract value of US$4 billion, including mobilization fees for the newbuild units.
West Auriga and West Vela are currently under construction at Samsung Shipyard in Korea. The newbuild units will commence transits to the Gulf of Mexico upon delivery from the yard, scheduled for late February and May 2013. Start-up of operations are scheduled for September and December 2013. The West Auriga and West Vela are the fourth and fifth drillships delivered to Seadrill by Samsung in the last 4 years. Each rig will be equipped with 1250 ton load capacity, an active heave compensated subsea construction crane and two 7 ram blow out preventers.
Alf C Thorkildsen, Chief Executive Officer in Seadrill Management AS, says, "The breadth and depth of this commitment from a major oil company is the result of our track record of delivering rigs on time, operating with a competent workforce and having the availability of a modern fleet. We are excited about the opportunity to further grow our fleet and operations in the US Gulf of Mexico, which we consider as one of the most cost effective drilling regions. In addition, the term of the contracts fits well with Seadrill financing plans including the potential use of MLP financing.[/QUOTE]
Wonder where they will be finding all the people to crew these up!!
[QUOTE=PDCMATE;76106]Wonder where they will be finding all the people to crew these up!![/QUOTE]
If all three are coming to the US Gulf then there are going to be a shitload of jobs for Americans provided that SeaDrill doesn’t try to run around the law and get a shitload of waivers for non US nationals to man this trio. I wonder which “drilling unit currently in operation” is the third one coming? WEST SIRIUS again?
[QUOTE=c.captain;76129]If all three are coming to the US Gulf then there are going to be a shitload of jobs for Americans provided that SeaDrill doesn’t try to run around the law and get a shitload of waivers for non US nationals to man this trio. I wonder which “drilling unit currently in operation” is the third one coming? WEST SIRIUS again?[/QUOTE]
Its the two new UDW Drillships in Samsung: Weat Auriga and West somethin else, plus one to be named later.
[QUOTE=PDCMATE;76131]Its the two new UDW Drillships in Samsung: Weat Auriga and West somethin else, plus one to be named later.[/QUOTE]
WEST VELA is the other newbuild drillship but the third is an existing ship or semi currently in operation somewhere which is what made me think of the WEST SIRIUS.
Of course, the operator is also not mentioned in this press release. I wonder why?
I think finding people might be hard but not too hard. But finding quality experienced people might be a totally different story. There are enough guys that will chase $$.
I think these companies forget that you can’t just take a guy off the street. Are they going to pay a premium for experienced people? There is still the catch 22 getting into drilling… No one will hire you without experience but you can’t get experience cause no one will hire you
[QUOTE=Skoidat69;76139]There is still the catch 22 getting into drilling… No one will hire you without experience but you can’t get experience cause no one will hire you[/QUOTE]
AH, but you are forgetting about Noble… Any bum with a tin cup and a license can get hired there. Quality and experience mean nothing to their wise and knowing HR department as witnessed by the grounding of the DISCO last week!.
If you’re breathing then you’ll do…
Honestly i think that the catch 22 is starting to fade because of the amount of newbuilds coming out and the lack of people trained with DP. I have not heard a peep for years from any drilling companies and was called back by 2 of them in the past couple weeks. Seems that the same olʻ group of drilling guys is not enough to man all these new vessels!
[QUOTE=c.captain;76134]WEST VELA is the other newbuild drillship but the third is an existing ship or semi currently in operation somewhere which is what made me think of the WEST SIRIUS.
Of course, the operator is also not mentioned in this press release. I wonder why?[/QUOTE]
West Sirus and West Capricorn are both in the gulf now working for BP, looking at there website it seems that BP has the West Capricorn under a new long term charter, the West Sirus contract is up July 2014.
[QUOTE=ChiefRob;76166]West Sirus and West Capricorn are both in the gulf now working for BP, looking at there website it seems that BP has the West Capricorn under a new long term charter, the West Sirus contract is up July 2014.[/QUOTE]
I have to wonder if BP is the operator not disclosed in this press release. Btw, when did the SIRIUS return from Brazil? Did it not go down there after the drilling moratorium was put into place?
[QUOTE=c.captain;76179]I have to wonder if BP is the operator not disclosed in this press release. Btw, when did the SIRIUS return from Brazil? Did it not go down there after the drilling moratorium was put into place?[/QUOTE]
I might be wrong but I don’t think it ever went down there sir. On Seadrills website they have it being on contract to BP in the gulf from July 2008, to July 2014. We have been doing construction for BP for a couple years now, and it has been here as long as I been on this job.
So with all these newbuilds coming out, is there some ruling like OPA 90 coming out that we don’t know about?
It just seems with a bunch of rigs with new crews, Mr. Murphy might be waiting around the corner…