Offshore drilling contractor Seadrill has reintroduced the West Auriga and West Polaris drillships into its fleet, marking their return ahead of high-profile assignments with Petrobras offshore Brazil. These state-of-the-art vessels are nearing the end of their client acceptance processes and are set to embark on their respective campaigns by the end of 2024.
Both drillships are ultra-deepwater capable, with the West Auriga being a seventh-generation unit and the West Polaris a sixth-generation vessel, both built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea. They have undergone extensive out-of-service maintenance and upgrades, including fresh coatings to enhance durability and corrosion resistance.
The vessels’ upcoming roles are anchored in lucrative 1,064-day fixed-term contracts awarded by Petrobras in December 2023. Each contract carries a total value of approximately $1.1 billion, including mobilization fees and additional services. The agreements highlight Seadrill’s commitment to the Brazilian offshore market, leveraging these high-specification assets for Petrobras’s ambitious deepwater exploration and production activities.
After transitioning from their previous third-party managers, the West Auriga and West Polaris are primed to support Petrobras’s drive to expand operations in Brazil’s ultra-deepwater reservoirs, further solidifying Seadrill’s position as a leading provider of offshore drilling solutions.
