Pacific Drilling SA, Luxembourg, has taken delivery of the Pacific Santa Ana dual-gradient ultradeepwater drillship, for which Chevron holds a 5-year contract for work in the Gulf of Mexico.
Samsung Heavy Industries of South Korea built the vessel, which has dual load path capability as well as dual-gradient drilling upgrades.
The ship can drill to 40,000 ft in as much as 12,000 ft of water.
It’s Pacific Drilling’s fourth ultradeepwater drillship. The company has two other comparable ships on order with Samsung, both to be delivered in 2013.
