Offshore drillers Stena, Valaris, Noble and ADES report milestones across key global markets

Recent updates from offshore drilling contractors highlight successful deepwater campaigns, presalt drilling progress, new North Sea work and the resumption of suspended jackup rigs in Saudi Arabia.

Why this news matters:

  • Global offshore activity remains broadly diversified, with operators advancing exploration, development and decommissioning programs from the Mediterranean and Brazil's presalt region to the North Sea and Middle East. 

  • Strong utilization continues to support drilling contractors, as evidenced by ahead-of-schedule well delivery, new contract awards and the return of previously suspended rigs to active service.

Several offshore drilling contractors have reported operational milestones, contract awards and fleet developments in recent days, highlighting continued activity across key offshore markets including Egypt, Brazil, Norway and Saudi Arabia.

According to company announcements, the updates include deepwater drilling achievements, presalt well delivery, a long-term North Sea plug and abandonment assignment, and the reactivation of previously suspended jackup rigs. 

Stena drillship completes Egypt campaign

Stena Drilling reported on its LinkedIn that the Stena IceMAX drillship completed a three-well campaign offshore Egypt that included two development wells through completion and testing, as well as an exploration well in a new field in the country's Western Mediterranean region. 

The campaign spanned water depths ranging from 256 m to 2,810 m, establishing both the shallowest and deepest operating water depths recorded for the drillship. Stena also said the shallow-water operation required management of narrow watch circles, complex riser analyses and enhanced dynamic positioning procedures, while the deepwater section involved deployment of 112 marine riser joints during BOP installation. 

According to the company, Stena IceMAX achieved 99.5% uptime and completed the overall program ahead of schedule. The rig is expected to remain in the region for work with a new client. 

Valaris advances Raia project offshore Brazil

Valaris also announced on its LinkedIn that the VALARIS DS-17 drillship successfully delivered the first well under the Raia project offshore Brazil. The company described the well as one of the country's most challenging presalt drilling operations. 

Valaris said execution of the well required detailed planning and coordination among the project team and was completed 18.5 days ahead of target, creating momentum for the remainder of the campaign. 

ADES receives notices to resume suspended Saudi offshore rigs

ADES Holding Co. announced that it has received resumption notices for all of its temporarily suspended offshore rigs in Saudi Arabia, a development the company said reflects strengthening offshore market fundamentals. 

According to ADES, contracted jackup utilization remains about 90%, while day rates continue to hold firm. The company noted that the market environment supports demand for premium offshore drilling assets and positions ADES to benefit from the recovery in activity.

connect11/1408944450/iStock/Getty Images Plus
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Noble secures North Sea P&A contract

Noble Corp. reported on its LinkedIn last week that it has been awarded a contract by ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS for the ultra-harsh environment Noble Interceptor jackup rig. The rig will perform plug and abandonment work in the Greater Ekofisk Area offshore Norway. 

The contract is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2027 and carries an estimated duration of 670 days. Noble described the award as the start of a new relationship with ConocoPhillips on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. 

The award adds to a growing backlog of North Sea well abandonment work as operators continue to retire mature assets across the region. 

About the Author

Ariana Hurtado

Editor-in-Chief

With more than a decade of copy editing, project management and journalism experience, Ariana Hurtado is a seasoned managing editor born and raised in the energy capital of the world—Houston, Texas. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of Offshore, overseeing the editorial team, its content and the brand's growth from a digital perspective. 

Utilizing her editorial expertise, she manages digital media for the Offshore team. She also helps create and oversee new special industry reports and revolutionizes existing supplements, while also contributing content to Offshore's magazine, newsletters and website as a copy editor and writer. 

Prior to her current role, she served as Offshore's editor and director of special reports from April 2022 to December 2024. Before joining Offshore, she served as senior managing editor of publications with Hart Energy. Prior to her nearly nine years with Hart, she worked on the copy desk as a news editor at the Houston Chronicle.

She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Houston.

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