In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) reported it has issued 67 new shallow water well permits since new standards were put in place during June 2010. Permits have averaged more than six per month over the past eight months. In addition, the agency has approved deepwater permits for 26 unique wells since mid-February, with 19 permits pending, and 26 permits returned to operators requiring additional information.

BP has exercised its six-month option on the contract of Transocean drillship Discoverer Enterprise, and the operator further agreed to an additional one-year extension for the rig. The six-month extension, which keeps the day rate at $435,000, will begin August 1, 2012, with the one-year term beginning January 2012 at a rate of $492,000. The rig, which recently underwent a deep cleaning and decontamination process after completing work at the Macondo oil spill site in Mississippi Canyon Block 252, is currently on standby for BP in Grand Isle Block 61.

Diamond Offshore semi Ocean Saratoga has completed its sublet contract for Nexen Petroleum in Green Canyon Block 50. The rig’s contract with Taylor Energy is now completed and the rig ...

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 ...

Further to a report in last week’s Gulf of Mexico Activity Report, jackup Rowan EXL-III is now scheduled to move to Grand Isle Block 16 for a three-well completion sublet with Energy XXI. The rig, which is under contract with McMoRan O&G through May 2012, completed the first well of that contract in May, but has been waiting on location in Brazos Block A-23 waiting on permit approval for the second well. Rowan hopes to be able to begin its second well with McMoRan upon completion of the Energy XXI work.

Pemex has opened bids for jackup tender 509-11, with KCA Deutag and Diamond Offshore emerging as the low bidders. KCA jackup Ben Loyal was confirmed for a 759-day program starting August 15, while Diamond Offshore jackup Ocean Summit was the low bidder for a 985-day contract starting February 23, 2012. The final contract awards will be confirmed on June 28. The Ben Loyal completed a contract with Pemex in April and is now in Brownsville undergoing a five-year survey and overhaul program. The Ocean Summit began a 289-day contract with Pemex in March, with completion scheduled for December 31.

Nabors Offshore newbuild inland barge Nabors BR-150 has ...

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 ...

On May 17, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. entered into an agreement whereby the operator will contract newbuild drillships Ocean BlackHawk and Ocean BlackHornet for five-year terms starting in late 2013 and early 2014. The rigs are currently being built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries yard in South Korea. The two contracts will generate a total of $1.8 billion in revenue for Diamond. In addition, both companies agreed to dismiss all claims relating to Anadarko’s 2010 force majeure declaration on semi Ocean Monarch. Diamond disputed the claim, and the two parties had been in discussions for the past several months. Following this announcement on May 19, Diamond reported it had exercised an option with Hyundai Heavy Industries to build a third Gusto P-10000 design drillship at an estimated cost of $614 million. The rig will be rated to drill in up to 12,000 fsw and will have dual activity capability, a seven-ram blowout preventer, and a maximum hookload capacity of 1,250 tons. Delivery of the yet to be named unit is scheduled for the second quarter of 2014. The order now gives Diamond eight rigs that will be able to drill in at least 10,000 fsw.

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Seahawk Drilling has recently secured several new contracts and extensions for its jackup fleet. First, Great GulfCan has signed up to take the Seahawk 2001 for a 90-day plus three, 90-day options program. Operations in the state waters in the High Island area are due to begin this week. The firm portion of the work will keep the rig working to mid-July. Next, PetroQuest Energy has inked a deal to take the Seahawk 2004 for a three-well contract in Ship Shoal Block 72. The 90-day program is scheduled to begin in late June or early July after the current contract with Walter O&G is completed. Walter still has around 20days left on its current well in West Cameron Block 29, which will be followed by a 60-day stint in Ship Shoal Block 189. Breton Energy will take jackup Seahawk 2007 for a 60-day well plus an unpriced option in West Cameron Block 71 starting around mid-June. The rig has just over 60 days remaining on its current contract with Castex Energy in Eugene Island Block 224. The rig is now next available around mid-August. Arena Offshore has exercised the first of two priced options on its contract with the Seahawk ...