Nabors Offshore workover jackup Dolphin 109 completed its one-well contract with Marlin Energy, LLC and is now available for charter. The rig is stacked on location in West Cameron Block 132. It is believed Nabors may be close to securing further work for the rig, but nothing is confirmed at present. Those details will be reported if and when a contract is finalized.

Rowan jackup Rowan Louisiana has completed operations for McMoRan Exploration Co. in Eugene Island Block 26 and is now on location in Ship Shoal Block 188 for the first of two option wells available under the original agreement. The well has a planned TD of about 25,000 ft, with operations expected to last around 200 days.

Spartan Offshore jackup Spartan 208 has gone to work for Black Elk Energy, LLC on a one-well deal in Galveston Block 424. Workover operations should last around 20-25 days. The rig had been idle since the latter part of August prior to receiving the work.

Total mobile rig utilization in the Gulf of Mexico is unchanged this week. Currently, 63 of 115 rigs are under contract or committed for work, for utilization of 54.8%. Marketed utilization, which excludes cold stacked and other rigs here but not marketed in the U.S. gulf, remains at 91.3%, with 61 of 69 rigs under contract.

Utilization of the jackup fleet is the same as last week as Spartan Offshore Drilling, LLC put a previously idle rig to work, offset by a Nabors Offshore Corporation unit going idle. Overall fleet utilization is now 47.4%, with 36 of 76 units under contract or committed for work. Marketed utilization remains at 85.7%, with 36 of 42 units contracted.

Floating rig utilization is unchanged this week. Current fleet utilization remains at 78.7%, with 26 of 33 units under contract, while marketed utilization is 96.3%, with 26 of 27 rigs under contract.

Total platform rig fleet utilization is still 44%, with 22 of 50 units under contract.  Marketed utilization stands at 62.9%, with 22 of 35 units under contract or committed for work.

Inland barge utilization is lower this week, as several units completed contracts and another rig was removed from the rig rolls. ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...