Recently, Swiss offshore drilling contractor Transocean and Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor have finalized an agreement for the operation of three harsh environment semi submersible drilling platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf, which will officially come into effect after the relevant permits are approved.

This batch of Cat D-type drilling platforms was tailor-made for the winter sea conditions in Norway, with much higher adaptability than ordinary deep-sea drilling equipment. The basic daily rate is set at 399000 US dollars, and after adding adjustment clauses before construction, the actual daily rate will exceed 400000 US dollars.

Over the course of seven years, we have secured contracts worth over 1 billion US dollars

The operation cycles of the three platforms are interconnected, and the Transocean enabler will continue the current operation schedule, starting from the first quarter of 2028 with a new three-year cycle. The Transocean Encouragement will also be launched in the first quarter of 2028, undertaking two-year operational tasks. The Transocean Endurance will be dispatched back to Norway from Australia and officially put into two-year operation in the second quarter of 2027.

Including all basic lease terms, the backlog value of contracts for platform basic operations alone exceeds $1 billion over a seven-year period, not including any additional technical service fees that may arise in the future.

The resilience of the high specification drilling market in Beihai is highlighted

Prior to the implementation of this long-term contract, Transocean had just secured contracts for the operation of two other semi submersible drilling platforms in harsh environments in Norwegian and Australian waters. Behind the continuous receipt of large orders is the continued heating up of oil and gas development activities on the Norwegian continental shelf. Keywords: oil drilling platform, marine resources

The demand for operational safety and efficiency in deep-sea oil and gas development in the North Sea region continues to increase, and the scarcity of high-end drilling platforms adapted to extreme sea conditions is becoming increasingly prominent. The proportion of long-term stable orders is rapidly increasing. Transocean will continue to work with Equinor to upgrade platform efficiency, further reducing single well drilling costs and improving overall project benefits while ensuring safe and reliable operations.Editor/Cheng Liting