Shell, Transocean put off deliveries of two drillships

Shell EP Wells Equipment Wells Services BV, Swiss offshore rig contractor Transocean Ltd., and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) have together agreed to delay by 12 months the operating and delivery contracts of the Deepwater Pontus and Deepwater Poseidon newbuild ultradeepwater drillships.

Transocean says the delay won’t impact the duration or dayrate of the original 10-year operating contracts for the drillships. Parties will be compensated for the postponement. The specific terms are not disclosed.

The delivery and operating agreements for Shell’s Deepwater Thalassa and Deepwater Proteus newbuild ultradeepwater drillships are not impacted by the agreement, Transocean adds.

“We are pleased that the strength of our relationships with both Shell and DSME has enabled us to reach this mutual agreement,” said Jeremy Thigpen, Transocean president and chief executive officer. “We are excited by the progress that we have jointly made with Shell on all four high-specification, ultradeepwater drillships, including the Deepwater Thalassa, which was delivered this September, and the Deepwater Proteus, which is scheduled for delivery this December.”