Two Diamond Offshore drilling rigs – semisubmersibles Ocean Apex and Ocean Patriot -- have secured contracts for additional work.
Woodside Energy extended its contract for Ocean Apex from mid-February 2018 to early April 2018 with an additional well added to the rig’s current program offshore Australia. The rig has been working for Woodside since May 2016. Diamond did not disclose the day rate for the contract extension; the rig previously earned a day rate of US$205,000 for a mid-November 2017 to mid-February 2018, and $285,000 for a mid-May 2016 to mid-November 2017 contract, according to Diamond Offshore’s latest fleet status report.
Royal Dutch Shell awarded a new one-well contract for the Ocean Patriot in the UK North Sea. Ocean Patriot is now completing its current term work under a three-year contract with Shell and will then be mobilized to undergo a special survey and top drive upgrade, said Marc Edwards, Diamond president and CEO, during the company’s 3Q 2017 earnings call today (30 October). The day rate for the new term has not been disclosed, but the rig earned a day rate of around $400,511 under the three-year contract. The rig will begin drilling from March 2018 to May 2018. Ocean Patriot then will be mobilized for a two-year contract starting in early June 2018 with Apache, also in the UK North Sea.