Diamond Offshore Orders Drillship

4 January 2011 (Last Updated January 4th, 2011 18:30)

Diamond Offshore Drilling has ordered an ultra-deepwater drillship with South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries. The vessel will cost $590m and is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2013. The drillship will have a seven-ram blow-out preventer, dual activity capabil

Diamond Offshore Drilling has ordered an ultra-deepwater drillship with South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries.

The vessel will cost $590m and is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2013.

The drillship will have a seven-ram blow-out preventer, dual activity capability, five mud pumps and a maximum hook-load capacity of 1,250t designed to operate at a water depth of 12,000ft.

Diamond Offshore has also signed a fixed-price option for the purchase of a second drillship, which the US-based company has the right to exercise at any time before the end of the first quarter of 2011.