Petrobras board give green light for 21 drill rigs

The board of directors of Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras has given its approval for the bidding process to award contracts for up to 21 offshore drilling rigs that will be built in Brazil.

Petrobras says it will award two contracts for each rig: one a leasing contract with the successful bidder, and the other a rig operation service contract with a company experienced in operating offshore drilling rigs.

Companies invited can submit a proposal for one or more batches of one or more rigs, up to a total of 21 units. Each rig will require a minimum of Brazilian content as specified by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP).

The bidding process is part of a strategy for contracting up to 28 new drilling rigs to be built in Brazil for exploration in ultra-deep waters, including the pre-salt fields.

In February this year, Brazil’s Atlântico Sul Shipyard (EAS) won the bid to build seven drill ships for Petrobras. The final price amounted to $4.6 billion (a figure of around $662 million per drill ship). Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries is a partner in EAS.

June 7, 2011