Offshore drilling contractor Transocean has added approximately $292m to its backlog after securing two contract extensions and one new contract for three rigs, according to Splash247. The fixtures cover the US Gulf of Mexico and the Ivory Coast, with one drillship also lined up for a subsequent campaign in Australia.
Gulf of Mexico: Conqueror extension and Proteus new contract
Splash247 reported, citing Transocean's fleet status report, that an unnamed operator awarded a two-well contract extension to the 2016-built drillship Deepwater Conqueror in the US Gulf of Mexico. The rig has been working for the operator since October 2025, and the extension will keep it on hire until January 2027 at a dayrate of $530,000.
In the same region, the 2016-built Deepwater Proteus was awarded a new two-well contract with two one-well priced options by another unnamed operator. According to Splash247, the contract started in July and runs until November 2026, with options that could extend the programme until January 2027. Dayrate details for the Proteus were not disclosed in the fleet status report.
Africa and beyond: Murphy extends Deepwater Skyros in Ivory Coast
The 2013-built Deepwater Skyros received a one-well extension from Murphy in the Ivory Coast, where the drillship has been working since December 2025, Splash247 said. The extension carries a dayrate of $361,000 and keeps the rig employed until September 2026. Murphy also holds a priced option to keep the rig until November 2026 at the same rate.
Once the Murphy campaign is complete, the Deepwater Skyros has a firm contract lined up in Australia with an unnamed operator. That assignment is scheduled to start in April 2027 and end in March 2028, with priced options allowing utilisation to continue until August 2030.
Other quarter fixtures and total backlog
Transocean's fleet status report also revealed several other fixtures during the quarter, Splash247 reported. Transocean Norge was awarded a five-well contract with three one-well options by Harbour Energy in Norway, and Transocean Equinox won a two-well contract with five one-well options from Santos in Australia.
Splash247 previously reported on a $1bn package deal from Equinor covering the Transocean Enabler, Transocean Encourage and Transocean Endurance. That figure is excluded from the company's stated total backlog of approximately $6.7bn, which remains subject to approval from license partners for the Equinor work.
Transocean stated that the aggregate incremental backlog associated with these firm fixtures is approximately $292m.
Contract scorecard
| Rig | Built | Location | Scope | Dayrate | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deepwater Conqueror | 2016 | US Gulf of Mexico | 2-well extension | $530,000 | Until Jan 2027 |
| Deepwater Skyros | 2013 | Ivory Coast (Murphy) | 1-well extension | $361,000 | Until Sep 2026; option to Nov 2026 |
| Deepwater Skyros | 2013 | Australia (unnamed operator) | New contract | Not disclosed | Apr 2027–Mar 2028; options to Aug 2030 |
| Deepwater Proteus | 2016 | US Gulf of Mexico | New 2-well + 2 options | Not disclosed | Jul–Nov 2026; options to Jan 2027 |
According to Splash247, the aggregate incremental backlog from these firm fixtures is approximately $292m, and Transocean's total backlog stands at roughly $6.7bn. The $1bn Equinor package for the Transocean Enabler, Transocean Encourage and Transocean Endurance is not included in that total because it remains subject to approval from license partners.
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