Block Mexico state oil giant Pemex has confirmed jackup contract awards for three outstanding tenders, confirming two of the awards March 9 and the third on March 10. For the three-rig Tender 503-11, Noble Drilling won both of the 350-IC requirements, consisting of a 272-day term for the Noble Leonard Jones starting March 19 and a 286-day contract for the Noble Bill Jennings (currently in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico) starting March 21. For the 250-IC portion of the tender, Perforadora Mexico won the 286-day program with its Sonora starting March 20. For the two, 2,000 hp platform rig portion of the bid, the joint venture of China Oilfield Services, Ltd. (COSL) and Goimar SA de CV were the sole bidders. The COSL-1 will undertake the 716-day program starting April 1, while the COSL 2 will work under a 274-day term starting April 2. Both rigs are currently working for Pemex.
In Tender 504-11, which called for three, 300-IC jackups and one 250-IC jackup, Noble Drilling won two of the four awards. The Noble Gene Rosser was confirmed for one of the 300-ft awards, a 248-day program starting April 28, while the Noble Earl Frederickson won the 250-IC contract, a 139-day program starting April 14. Both rigs are currently in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Diamond Offshore won the other 300-IC term for 289 days starting March 18 for jackup Ocean Summit. Pemex received no proposals for the final 300-ft jackup, a 121-day term starting April 1. Turning to tender 507-10, which required four, 300-ft IC jackups, Pemex on March 10 confirmed that Noble won two of the contracts and Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP Offshore) of Romania won the other two. The Noble John Sandifer will work under a 624-day program starting April 18, and the Noble Lewis Dugger will work under a 588-day contract starting April 27. Both rigs are currently in the U.S. gulf. The GSP Offshore awards are for 566 days starting June 15 for the GSP Atlas and 611 days from May 1 using the GSP Orizont. Of Noble’s six overall contract awards, five of the jackups were recently moved from Mexico to the US gulf by Noble, although the intent from the beginning was to move the units back to Mexico. After the rigs depart, that will leave only the Noble Johnnie Hoffman in the area.
Finally, Pemex extended the contract for the Noble Carl Norberg jackup by 146 days, now keeping that rig busy into August. In upcoming tenders, Pemex will open bids for the three-jackup Tender 509-10 on March 23, with the contract awards to follow April 6. That will be followed by Tender 506-11, which calls for a 486-day program for a 350-IC jackup and 574 days for a 300-IC jackup. Bids will be opened April 26, and contracts awarded on May 9. Both of the upcoming tenders include the rigs built or upgraded since the 2000 requirement.
Atwood Oceanics, Inc. has appointed George S. Dotson as non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors effective March 10, 2011.
Further to a report from the March 7 Gulf of Mexico Activity Report, ENSCO, PLC reports it has been awarded a follow-up contract for jackup ENSCO 90. The rig secured a 20-day well in Eugene Island Block 208 for Northstar Offshore with ADTI providing turnkey services. Work will begin later this month once the current contract with Stone Energy Corporation in Vermilion Block 267 is completed. The work stretches rig availability into the second half of April, and ENSCO expects to have additional work for the rig in place shortly.
Tarpon Offshore has sidetracked its well in South Marsh Island Block 50 and expects jackup Seahawk 2600 to be on the location for another month. The rig is then due to move to South Marsh Island Block 111 for a 25-day well with LLOG Exploration. Meanwhile, jackup Seahawk 2602 completed operations in Main Pass Block 120 and is now on location in South Timbalier Block 161 for a two-well plus two options extension with Arena Energy. The firm portion of the work will keep the rig busy to late April. Finally, jackup Seahawk 2007 completed its contract with Hall Houston in High Island Block 88 and has now begun a short 10-day workover in nearby High Island Block 98 with Great Golfcan Energy. Upon completion in late March, the rig will move to Eugene Island Block 224 for a 75-day extension from a previous contract with Castex Energy.
Jackup Rowan Gorilla III is now moving to location in Main Pass Block 72 to begin a 90-day contract with Energy XXI. The rig had been undergoing maintenance in Sabine Pass after arriving here from Canada earlier this year.