Newly named, ‘twice-jilted’ ultra-deepwater drillship gets set for journey to Petrobras

Prior to its departure to Brazil for a long-term charter with Petrobras, a new ultra-deepwater drillship was named at a ceremony held by shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean at its shipyard in South Korea.

Named Tidal Action by Petrobras director of engineering, technology and innovation, Renata Baruzzi, the seventh-generation drillship will be capable of drilling in water of 3,600 m. The long-term charter agreement was secured by Hanwha Drilling’s partner, Constellation Oil Services. Flying the Marshall Island flag, Tidal Action (ex West Libra) will be operated and managed by Constellation Oil Services on a 2.5-year contract with state-owned Petrobras in the Roncador field in the Campos Basin.

It has been a long, strange trip for Tidal Action that started more than 10 years ago. The twice-jilted newbuild drillship was originally ordered in 2013 by Seadrill before the driller terminated the shipbuilding contract. In 2018 it was acquired, along with another drillship, by Northern Drilling from the South Korean shipbuilder, before it terminated the deal in 2021.

Tidal Action will join 39 other drillships, semi-submersibles and jack-up rigs actively drilling in Brazil, according to data compiled Westwood Global Energy Group. Overall, the energy analysts reported there were 139 floaters and 375 jack-up rigs contracted as of week 15 of 2025. Both drilling rig categories are down about 3% from levels at the start of year.

In March, Constellation reported it also signed a contract with Petrobras for the operation of the jack-up rig Admarine 511, owned by ADES Holding Co. The unit will operate in shallow-water plug and abandonment (P&A) campaigns in the Sergipe, Alagoas, Ceará and Potiguar basins.

Borr Driling reported the jack-up rigs Arabia I and Vali have begun long-term contracts. Arabia I has been chartered by Petrobras in Brazil, while Vali will go to work for Mellitah Oil and Gas in Libya. The NYSE-listed drilling contractor said it invoiced about US$48M in lump-sum mobilisation revenues related to the two contracts.

Elsewhere in the Americas, Borr Drilling said contracts for three jack-up rigs that were suspended 15 January are now back on. The three jack-ups, Galar, Grid and Gersemi, will continue operations on Pemex assets under the same contractual terms. Notably, Galar will be deployed in the Bacab-Lum field, which will be developed by an affiliate of its customer under a private investment structure.

North Sea termination

Meanwhile, TotalEnergies EP Denmark has notified Shelf Drilling it intends to terminate its contract for the jack-up Shelf Drilling Winner effective August 2025. The rig, which has been on charter to TotalEnergies since 2022, had been originally contracted to work in the Danish North Sea until August 2026, and possibly extended into late 2027, if all options were exercised.