Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has received a $600m order from Alpha Eagle, a subsidiary of Atwood Oceanics, to build an ultra-deepwater drillship.

The vessel will be built at DSME yard in South Korea and is expected to be delivered by 30 June 2014.

The ultra-deepwater drillship is expected to operate in water depths of up to 12,000ft and drill to a depth of 40,000ft.

Alpha Eagle said that, upon delivery, the vessel will become the 16th mobile offshore drilling unit owned by the company.