India's state-owned energy companies are continuing to invest in offshore drilling programs, with ONGC awarding a new multi-year contract to Transocean and Oil India extending work for Dolphin Drilling's semisubmersible Blackford Dolphin.
ONGC has issued a binding two-year Letter of Award to Transocean for use of the drillship Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2 offshore India.
The program is due to start in 1Q 2027. Transocean’s $300-million contract includes two years of priced options: if all are exercised, the vessel would remain working in Indian waters through early 2031.
Meanwhile, Oil India has extended its contract with Dolphin Drilling for the semisubmersible rig Blackford Dolphin offshore eastern India until October, to cover completion of drilling, testing, and abandonment work at various locations.
Safety technology partnership expands
Fennex has secured an extension of its technology partnership with Dolphin Drilling, which involves deploying the AI-driven Behaviour-Based Safety Solution (BBSS) software on the Blackford Dolphin and the semisub Paul B. Loyd Jr.
The service will now be broadened to include the Borgland Dolphin.
To date, more than 10,000 safety observations have been submitted through the Fennex BBSS platform across the two rigs, with participation of over 40 contractor organizations.
Fennex claims that as a result, 98% of unsafe conditions have been closed out, 73% within seven days. HSE personnel are said to be saving around 1,000+ hours annually due to a reduced administrative burden.
