Maersk Drilling's second and third ultra deepwater drillships have been named following a ceremony held at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in Geoje-Si, South Korea.
Named the 'Maersk Valiant' and 'Maersk Venturer', the vessels are the second and third ships in a four-vessel series of ultra deepwater drillships. They follow the addition of the 'Maersk Viking' to enter Maersk Drilling's rig fleet.
The four drillships represent a total investment of USD 2.6 billion and will be delivered from the SHI shipyard in 2014.
After delivery from the yard, the 'Maersk Valiant' will commence a three-year firm contract with ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil for their respective drilling programmes in the United States Gulf of Mexico.
The contract includes options for up to an additional two years. A contract for 'Maersk Venturer' is yet not signed.
