Ultra-deepwater Drillship Delivered to Ensco

Ensco plc has taken delivery of ENSCO DS-7, an advanced-capability, ultra-deepwater drillship. The vessel will embark from the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea to Angola, where it is contracted to Total for three years beginning in the fourth quarter at an initial day rate in the mid $610,000's.

ENSCO DS-7 is the third Ensco rig contracted to Total and will be the fourth Ensco rig working in West Africa. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Office Dan Rabun said, “The West Africa deepwater market continues to be an exciting exploration area and we are pleased to expand our presence in this region with our newest drillship.”

The new drillship is the fifth of eight rigs in the Company’s ultra-deepwater DP3 drillship series, which are equipped with advanced technological features for drilling and completing deepwater wells including DPS-3 certified dynamic positioning, six-ram 15,000 psi BOPs, enhanced off-line capability, 2.5 million-pound hook load on main rotary, 6,000-barrel active and 7,400-barrel reserve dual-fluid systems, 165 MT active heave subsea crane, significant storage and deck space, and accommodations for up to 200 persons.

Ensco say that the uniform design of the DP3 drillship series streamlines construction, operations, inventory management, training, regulatory compliance, repairs and maintenance. It also provides flexibility for customer-specific enhancements: in particular, the drillships may be modified to drill and complete wells in water depths up to 12,000 feet. “Standardization creates significant efficiency benefits and an uptime record that customers value highly when contracting new assets,” Mr. Rabun continued.