Responding to the renewed strength of the Gulf of Mexico's natural gas drilling market, R&B Falcon Corp., Houston, on Tuesday said six of its shallow-water jack ups and three drill barges will be reactivated. The vessels are scheduled to begin working in the second and third quarters of this year to allow time for crewing and final preparation for service.
The units were previously idled due to low demand. Of the units reentering service, three have firm contracts, four have contracts under negotiation, and two are in preliminary stages of discussions with operators, the company said. Once negotiations are completed, R&B Falcon will still have an additional 9 jack ups and 15 drilling barges in the gulf capable of reentering the active fleet as demand continues to grow, says Chairman Paul B. Loyd Jr.
"Current price and storage levels for natural gas for this time of year are almost unprecedented and are clearly signaling increased demand for our services," says Loyd. R&B Falcon has 31 jack ups and 34 drilling barges stationed in the Gulf of Mexico.