Spotlight: Petrobras' new batch of offshore drilling rigs

Seven offshore drilling rigs are starting new contracts with Brazil’s national oil company Petrobras between this month and November 2023, a spokesperson for the state-run firm told BNamericas. 

The rigs were hired in a recent tender that called for contracts with a duration of between three and four years. 

Three units were chartered from Ocyan: ODN-I (pictured), ODN-II and Norbe VI. The former two have contracts scheduled to start between January and November 2023, while the latter can be required to begin activities from this month until September next year. In all cases, the contracts will last three years. 

Transocean’s Deepwater Corcovado and Deepwater Orion rigs have, respectively, four- and three-year contracts programmed to start between January and November 2023. 

Brasdrill’s Ocean Courage rig has a four-year contract set to begin between January and November of next year, and Constellation’s Brava Start has a three-year deal starting in the same period. 

Meanwhile, Petrobras is carrying out a bidding process to contract a self-elevating platform to carry out the abandonment campaign of shallow water wells in the northeast region of the country.

“The contracting [of the rigs] is aimed at meeting the needs of Petrobras' project portfolio, with rig replacements for contracts that will expire and rigs required for new demands,” the company spokesperson said. 

At present, Petrobras has  nine offshore rigs hired for projects 100% owned by the company (Petrobras’ pool): 

Rig	Charterer	Start	End
Atlantic Star	Constellation	06/01/2021	05/01/2024
Laguna Star	Constellation	01/03/2022	28/02/2025
Gold Star	Constellation	09/08/2022	06/08/2025
Lone Star	Constellation	14/09/2022	11/09/2025
Takatsugu	Etesco	25/04/2012	21/04/2025
Siem Helix 2	Helix Offshore	14/12/2017	13/12/2024
ODN I	Ocyan	12/09/2012	02/01/2023
Norbe IX	Ocyan	05/01/2022	04/01/2025
P10000	Transocean	27/09/2018	13/08/2029

Source: Petrobras

Another nine units are currently hired by the company in partnership with private groups, according to data from the Brazilian navy: Constellation’s Amaralina Star, Atlantic Star and Gold Star; Carolina Marine’s Carolina; Transocean’s Deepwater Mykonos; Hibernia Marine’s SSV Victoria; Ensco’s Valaris DS-4; and Seadrill’s West Carina and West Jupiter.