Transocean Deepwater Pacific 1 hull to be launched in March
2008.02.29 -
Company News
The construction team for the ultra-deepwater drillship Deepwater Pacific 1 recently celebrated the keel-laying, an event that marks the beginning of the final assembly of the rig's many sections into a single hull inside a dry dock.
The Deepwater Pacific 1 is the first of the drillships to be built by Transocean Pacific Drilling Inc., a joint venture company between Transocean Offshore International Ventures Ltd. and Pacific Drilling Ltd. at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in South Korea. The rig is destined for its first contract in India with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), a key deepwater customer for Transocean (NYSE:RIG).
Supported by a site team of 30 members at the shipyard and additional personnel in Houston and Mumbai operations, the Deepwater Pacific 1 is being constructed to operate for RIL in water depths up to 12,000 feet.
The construction schedule calls for the shipyard to launch the hull in late March 2008, and then deliver the rig late in the first quarter of 2009. The rig’s drilling contract is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2009, following the shipyard construction, sea trials, mobilization to location and customer acceptance.
The other Transocean Pacific Drilling drillship to be constructed at the SHI yard, the Deepwater Pacific 2, is being marketed worldwide.
Petroleum Geo-Services ASA ('PGS' or the Company) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Applied Geophysical Services, Inc. (AGS) for a price of USD 51 million, subject to certain adjustments for changes in working capital. PGS estimates an enterprise value for AGS of approximately USD 46 million. AGS is based in Houston, Texas and specializes in providing advanced depth imaging services. The transaction is expected to close during the course of this week.
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Rowan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:RDC) announced today that it has entered into contracts with Keppel AmFELS, Inc. for the construction of four Super 116E class jack-ups. The rigs will be built at AmFELS' Brownsville, Texas shipyard, with delivery scheduled at approximately four-month intervals beginning in the second quarter of 2010.
Gaz de France has acquired a 45% stake in the Alam El Shawish West licence in Egypt from Vegas Oil & Gas.
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