Transocean Ltd. has announced a three-year award for the newbuild ultra-deepwater drillship Deepwater Aquila with a national oil company for work offshore Brazil. The contract is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2024 and represents approximately $486 million in firm backlog, excluding a mobilization fee of approximately 90 times the contract dayrate.

Transocean has also agreed to acquire the outstanding interests in Liquila Ventures Ltd., a company formed to acquire the Deepwater Aquila, from its joint venture partners, Perestroika and Lime Rock Partners. Following this acquisition, Transocean will own and operate eight of the twelve ultra-deepwater, 1,400 short-ton hookload drillships in the world. The Deepwater Aquila is expected to be delivered from the shipyard in October 2023.

In connection with the execution of the drilling contract for the Deepwater Aquila and the acquisition of the outstanding interests in Liquila Ventures Ltd., Transocean is exploring various debt financing alternatives to partially fund the costs associated with acquiring the rig from the shipyard and preparing it for its contract in Brazil.