Arena Energy, White Fleet Drilling announce mobilization of refurbished jackup

Offshore staff

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Arena Energy, LLC, and White Fleet Drilling, LLC have announced the christening and mobilization of the White Fleet Drilling 400 (WFD 400), a refurbished jackup drilling rig in the US Gulf of Mexico. 

White Fleet Drilling was created in 2017 as a jackup rig services provider and is Arena’s preferred drilling contractor.

White Fleet acquired the out-of-service rig in 2022 and subsequently moved the rig to Gulf Copper’s shipyard in Galveston, Texas, last July. 

Enterprise Offshore Drilling provided project management services for an extensive refurbishment of the rig to bring it up to operational standards, including improved safety features and a complete overhaul of the rig’s mechanical systems.

These upgrades will allow the rig to operate more efficiently, reducing downtime and improving overall safety, the companies say. 

The WFD 400 will support drilling and development activities for Arena, and is expected to provide plugging and abandonment operations for third-party operators in the Gulf for the next 15 to 20 years.

Arena and White Fleet christened the WFD 400 in a ceremony at the end of April, and the rig is already under contract and on location performing plugging and abandonment work for a third-party operator in the shallow-water Gulf of Mexico.

Mike Minarovic, Co-Founder and CEO of Arena Energy, LLC, said: “This is important not only for Arena and White Fleet, but also for the rest of the industry. Just 10 years ago, there were thirty-six active jackup drilling rigs in the US Gulf of Mexico. With the addition of the WFD 400, there are now six active jackup rigs in the Gulf, and the WFD 400 fills a void for jackup rigs capable of working in four hundred feet of water.”

09.08.2023