Seadrill’s West Gemini ultra-deepwater drillship at sea. Credit: Seadrill.

Drilling company Sonadrill has received a ten-well contract in Angola for the new ultra-deepwater drillship West Gemini.

The contract has options for up to eight additional wells in the Southern African country.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Excluding options, the order is valued at approximately $161m, including mobilisation revenue and additional services.

Sonadrill is a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between offshore drilling contractor Seadrill and an affiliate of Angola’s Sonangol. The company said that the contract is planned to start in the fourth quarter of this year, with a firm term of approximately 18 months.

Seadrill CEO Simon Johnson said: “Our strategic partnership with Sonadrill is critical to the development of the Angolan oil and gas sector, and to Seadrill’s position as the number one rig operator in Angola.”

The West Gemini will be the third drillship to be chartered into the Seadrill-Sonangol JV. This is followed by two Sonangol-owned units, namely the Sonangol Quenguela, and Sonangol Libongos.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Seadrill will operate and manage the three drillships on behalf of Sonadrill.

Last year, Sonadrill received a 12-well contract, with one option for nine wells, and 11 one-well options in Angola, for the Sonangol Quenguela drillship.

Seadrill said in a press statement: “Together, the three units position the Seadrill joint venture as the premier rig operator in Angola, furthering the goal of building an ultra-deepwater franchise in the Golden Triangle and driving efficiencies from rig clustering in the region.”