Diamond Offshore jackup Ocean Titan was the low bidder on Part 1 of Pemex Tender 514-11 opened on July 5. The program calls for a 350-ft IC jackup for an 872-day contract starting August 13, 2011. Final award will be made July 19. The rig has been stacked in West Cameron Block 84 since mid-June after it completed a contract with ANKOR Energy. In Parts 2 and 3 of the tender, no bids were submitted for either; the requirements were voided and will be re-tendered at a later date.

ABS surveys and repair work have been completed on jackup Hercules 120, and the rig has returned to its contract with Chevron, moving to South Timbalier Block 37 late last week. The rig is under contract through the end of the year, with two 6-month options remaining. Jackup Hercules 204 has begun the final well of its contract with Pisces Energy, LLC. The well in Ship Shoal Block 227 is scheduled to take about 30 days, after which the rig will go to Stone Energy Corporation for a two well, 60-day contract. With all the work, the rig would next be available in mid-October. Breton Energy, LLC received its permits ...

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 ...

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 ...

Shipyard work has been completed on jackup Spartan 303 and the rig is now on location in Breton Sound Block 33 to begin its one-well plus options contract with Century Exploration. The firm portion of the contract should keep the rig working for around 90 days to the second-half of May. Jackup Spartan 151 had been on the Breton Sound location, but was moved to the Gulf Copper shipyard in Galveston when Spartan was awarded a two-year contract by Escopeta O&G for work off Alaska with the rig. Upgrades are continuing and the rig is expected to depart the U.S. Gulf around mid-March.

Hercules Offshore has received contracts for two previously idle jackups and secured an extension for another. First, Stone Energy will pick up the Hercules 201 for a 10-day P&A, with work scheduled to begin later this week. The rig had been hot stacked in West Cameron Block 38 since mid-December. Hall-Houston has taken the previously idle Hercules 251 for a 40-day contract in Eugene Island Block 266. The contract began over the weekend and will keep the rig busy through March. It had been stacked in West Cameron Block 38 for the past two weeks. Finally, ...