The ADNOC Drilling Company has been awarded a contract for three island rigs by ADNOC Offshore for an estimated total contract value of $806 million to support expanding operations at the offshore Zakum development project.
These three rigs are in addition to three ordered in July 2024. They will operate on ADNOC’s existing and newly constructed artificial islands for drilling and completion of wells.
“ADNOC Drilling is proud to be awarded this significant, long-term contract, marking another major milestone in our accelerated growth journey," said Abdulrahman Abdulla Al Seiari, ADNOC Drilling CEO.
"These next generation island rigs, built with embedded artificial intelligence (AI), represent a leap forward in technology, enhancing safety, efficiency and performance.”
This new generation of island rigs, expected to gradually join the fleet between 2027 and 2028, will be developed through a strategic collaboration between ADNOC Drilling and Honghua Group (HH).
“We are focused on unlocking maximum value from the resources in Abu Dhabi’s waters in the most efficient and innovative ways possible," added Tayba Abdul Rahim Al Hashemi, Chief Executive Officer of ADNOC Offshore.
"Leveraging real-time condition monitoring, performance optimization and predictive analytics, the rigs will generate actionable insights that drive higher operational efficiency, improved well delivery times and enhanced safety," said ADNOC Drilling.
Designed to operate on ADNOC’s artificial islands – home to the world’s five longest wells, including a recent record-setting well at 53,000 feet – the rigs will be optimised for extended reach drilling (ERD).
Additionally, walking capabilities will enable seamless movement between well slots without the need for rig dismantling, improving uptime, reducing emissions and lowering operating costs.
ADNOC Drilling said the capital expenditure for acquiring these new island rigs is currently expected to be broadly similar to that of the three island rigs announced in July 2024.