Spartan Offshore has received a further extension from Century Offshore that will now keep jackup Spartan 303 under contract through May 2012. The rig has been working for Century since mid-February.

Hercules Offshore received contract extensions for two jackups recently. First, Hall-Houston extended its deal on the Hercules 212 for two wells in East Cameron Block 160. The rig is currently under tow to the new location, with work expected to keep the rig busy for around 90 days, making it next available for work around the end of January 2012. Pisces Energy has also exercised its option on the Hercules 263. The rig has now arrived on location in South Pelto Block 13 where it is expected to be until mid-December when a 50-day contract with Tana Exploration in set to begin. The Hercules 150 has arrived in Sabine Pass where it will undergo 45-50 days of leg repairs after it suffered a punchthrough trying to get on Tarpon Offshore’s location in West Cameron Block 265. It has not yet been determined if Tarpon will wait for the rig or switch to an alternative unit. The jackup is also scheduled to go to Arena Offshore for a 45-day ...

Reports are that Rowan Companies newbuild jackup Rowan EXL-IV may have a signed contract in place by the end of this week. While the potential customer is not known, market intelligence indicates Apache Corporation could be the operator getting the rig. The LeTourneau Super 116-E design rig, delivered from the Keppel AmFELS yard in Brownsville, Texas, on September 1, is currently undergoing systems testing while waiting on work and is expected to leave the yard in October.

Hall-Houston Exploration finally received its permit and now has jackup Hercules 212 on location in High Island Block 205. The ADTI turnkey well is expected to take around 30 days to complete. Meanwhile, jackup Hercules 214 has wrapped up operations for Apache Corporation in Main Pass Block 69 and is now on standby while it waits for its next contract to begin. That work will be for Phoenix Exploration Company, LP in nearby Main Pass Block 59 on a job that was switched from jackup Hercules 253. That rig is also on standby in West Cameron Block 38 while it waits to begin a threewell, 120-day contract with Hall-Houston, now expected to be in early October. Tana Exploration Company, LLC will then ...

Noble Corporation has exercised options with Sembcorp Marine subsidiary Jurong Shipyard for the construction of two additional high-specification heavy duty, harsh environment Friede & Goldman JU3000N jackups. Total delivered costs are estimated at $245 million per rig, which includes project management, spares, and start-up costs, but excludes capitalized interest. Deliveries are scheduled for the third and fourth quarters of 2014. With the new orders, Noble will have six new jackup rigs under construction with Jurong Shipyard. In addition, the company has seven ultra-deepwater drillships under construction, three of which are scheduled to be delivered later this year, and Noble continues to evaluate an option it has with Hyundai Heavy Industries for the construction of an additional ultra-deepwater drillship which expires on August 31, 2011. If exercised, the unit would be delivered in the second-half of 2014.

Rowan has secured a one-year contract for idle jackup Rowan Gorilla II with Petronas Carigali, with work starting off Malaysia in October/November. The rig, which had been stacked in Sabine Pass since late May, will depart the US Gulf in August, with transport time taking around 60 days.

Surveys and repairs have been completed on jackup Hercules 173 and the rig has ...

Hercules Offshore reports that jackup Hercules 120 will now return directly to its contract with Chevron when shipyard work is completed in mid-July. It was originally understood Chevron might wait to take the rig back until the Hercules 201 completed its contract in early September. Chevron picked up the Hercules 201 in March when survey and repair work began on the Hercules 120. Chevron’s contract for the Hercules 120 runs through yearend, with two additional 6-month options available thereafter. Meanwhile, Breton Energy, LLC will now take jackup Hercules 253 for its 60-day-plus-option contract in West Cameron Block 171. The operator originally contracted jackup Hercules 214 for the work, but that rig is now delayed on its contract with Castex Energy, Inc. until the end of July, prompting Breton to take the recently idled Hercules 253. It is understood work will begin once the permit paperwork is modified to reflect the change in rigs, expected by mid-July. Jackup Hercules 205 is now under tow to Main Pass Block 60 to begin a 75-day contract with Energy XXI, with operations to begin later this week. The rig had been working for Hilcorp Energy Company in High Island Block 37. Lastly, jackup Hercules ...

ABS surveys and repairs on jackup Hercules 120 are now scheduled to be completed in mid-July, but the rig may not return to its contract with Chevron Corporation until early September or October. Chevron picked up the Hercules 201 as a substitute rig, and that contract will not be completed until early September if an outstanding 30-day option on the rig is not exercised. Hercules Offshore, Inc. says it will market the Hercules 120 to other operators during the gap should Chevron opt to not resume the contract in mid-July. The firm portion of the Hercules 120 contract does not end until December 31, but Chevron also has two, six-month priced options available should it choose to exercise them. Meanwhile, Rooster Petroleum, LLC will pick up jackup Hercules 150 for a 25-day well in Eugene Island Block 28 in mid-August. The rig will finish its current contract with Hilcorp Energy Company in late July, after which it has a 14-day shipyard stay scheduled. The new work now keeps the rig employed into the first week of September. Apache Corporation also has exercised an option to keep jackup Hercules 200 for an additional 60 days, with wells in West Cameron Block ...

Blake International has received a three-well contract from W&T Offshore for self-erecting platform rig Blake 1006. Work in South Timbalier Block 316 will begin in the second-half of July after upgrade and refurbishment work at Blake’s Houma, LA facility is completed. Prior to beginning the work, the rig had been idle since October 2008.

Hercules Offshore reports it has secured follow-up work for jackup Hercules 205. First, current operator Hilcorp Energy has just extended its contract and moved the rig to High Island Block 37 for a 21-day well. Upon completion of that work, Energy XXI will take the rig for a 75-day program in Main Pass Block 60, keeping it occupied into the first-half of September. Meanwhile, Hercules says W&T Offshore will extend its contract for jackup Hercules 202 if it is able to secure the permits. The rig is scheduled to complete the current contract with W&T in Main Pass Block 109 later this week.

Jackup Rowan EXL-III continues to wait on location in Brazos Block A-23, waiting on permit approvals to continue under its contract with McMoRan O&G. The rig completed operations on the first of the two-well contract on June 14. Several options appear ...