Arena Energy, White Fleet mobilize Gulf of Mexico drilling rig

Arena Energy LLC and rig services provider White Fleet Drilling LLC have mobilized the White Fleet Drilling (WFD) 400 refurbished jack-up drilling rig for work in the US Gulf of Mexico.

WFD 400 will support drilling and development activities for Arena and plugging and abandonment operations for third-party operators in the Gulf of Mexico for the next 15-20 years, the company said in a release Sept. 7.

White Fleet—Arena’s strategic partner created in 2017 as a jack-up rig services provider and Arena's preferred drilling contractor—acquired the out-of-service rig in 2022 and subsequently moved it to Gulf Copper's shipyard in Galveston, Tex., in July 2022. Enterprise Offshore Drilling provided project management for an extensive refurbishment to bring the rig to operational standards, including equipment installation, improved safety features, and an overhaul of the rig's mechanical systems.

Work on the rig is important not only for Arena and White Fleet, but also for the rest of the industry, said Mike Minarovic, Arena co-founder and chief executive officer. "Just 10 years ago, there were 36 six active jack-up drilling rigs in the US Gulf of Mexico. With the addition of the WFD 400, there are now six active jack-up rigs in the [Gulf of Mexico], and the WFD 400 fills a void for jack-up rigs capable of working in 400 ft of water."

The rig is already under contract and on location performing plugging and abandonment work for an unnamed operator in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the company said.