BP PLC signed a contract for Ensco PLC’s DS-6 ultradeepwater drillship for 5 years at $522,000/day, plus cost adjustments.
Terms include options for two 1-year extensions at a negotiated rate.
Ensco said the newbuild DS-6 was in Singapore undergoing BP-requested modifications, including enhanced voluntary drilling standards.
The DS-6, equipped with dynamic positioning, has six-ram, 15,000-psi blowout preventers and accommodations for 200 crew members. It can be modified to operate in 12,000 ft of water.
The drillship recently was delivered from Samsung Heavy Industries’ shipyard in South Korea. Based on current estimates, the DS-6 is scheduled to start work late this year.