Ultra-Deepwater Operations

Diamond Offshore has invested significant capital into the business to ensure we are aligning our assets with our customer's needs.

Since 2000, we have built three ultra-deepwater rigs from existing mid-water hulls: the Ocean Rover ('03), Ocean Endeavor ('07), and Ocean Monarch ('08). Following this successful upgrade program, we acquired two newbuild ultra-deepwater semisubmersibles, the Ocean Courage and Ocean Valor, and in 2011 we ordered three ultra-deepwater drillships, the Ocean BlackHawk ('14), Ocean BlackHornet ('14), and Ocean BlackRhino ('14). In 2012, we ordered two deepwater semisubmersibles, the Ocean Onyx ('14) and Ocean Apex ('14), and another ultra-deepwater drillship, the Ocean BlackLion ('15). In 2013, we ordered an ultra-deepwater harsh environment semisubmersible rig, the Ocean GreatWhite ('16). The evolution of our fleet with five ultra-deepwater upgrades, two ultra-deepwater acquisitions, and seven new construction deepwater and ultra-deepwater rigs has allowed Diamond to increase our market share and align ourselves with our customers' growing demand to operate in deeper waters. While our fleet continues to change, our culture of safe and efficient operations will remain the same.

Ultra-deepwater Drillships: Ocean BlackHawk, Ocean BlackHornet, Ocean BlackRhino, Ocean BlackLion

Listening to our customers, we decided to construct four ultra-deepwater drillships to further service their needs as well as diversify our asset base. We began by ordering our first newbuild drillship in Q1 2011 and by January 2012 had four drillships on order. Our first unit, the Ocean BlackHawk, commenced operations for Anadarko in the US Gulf of Mexico in mid-2014. By year end 2014, Diamond delivered two additional new drillships, the Ocean BlackHornet and Ocean BlackRhino, for projects in the US Gulf of Mexico with Anadarko and Murphy, respectively. The last new drilliship, the Ocean BlackLion, was delivered in Q2 2015.

Highlights: Dynamic-positioning, dual-activity capability, maximum hook-load capacity of 1,250 tons, two seven-ram blowout preventers, water depth capabilities up to 12,000 feet, and drilling depth capabilities up to 40,000 feet.