[StBernard] FACTBOX-Deepwater rigs moved out of the Gulf of Mexico

[Westley Annis]

FACTBOX-Deepwater rigs moved out of the Gulf of Mexico

4:43pm EDT

June 14 (Reuters) - Some of the 30-plus deepwater rigs that were in the Gulf
of Mexico have moved to other markets, first because of a U.S. halt called
in May 2010 after BP Plc's (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) well
blowout, and then because of the lack of permits in the months after the
moratorium was lifted.

Below are rigs which had been contracted to work in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico
that were moved to other regions.

* Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (DO.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
said on July 9, 2010, that the Ocean Endeavor, contracted to earn about
$290,000 per day from Devon Energy Corp (DVN.N: Quote, Profile, Research,
Stock Buzz) in the Gulf of Mexico, would move to Egypt under a new deal with
Burullus Gas Co. [ID:nN09154557]

* Diamond said three days later it would move the Ocean Confidence, under
contract to Murphy Oil Corp (MUR.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz),
from the Gulf to the Republic of Congo. [ID:nN12212133] The rig is now
drilling wells for Cobalt International Energy Inc (CIE.N: Quote, Profile,
Research, Stock Buzz) off Angola, but is due to return to U.S. waters in
October.

* Transocean Ltd (RIGN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(RIG.N:
Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), the world's largest offshore drilling
contractor, said on Sept. 1 it had moved its Marianas rig, under contract to
Italy's Eni (ENI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), from the Gulf to
work off Africa. [ID:nN01152276]

* Transocean said on Sept. 14 that its Discoverer Americas, under contract
to Norway's Statoil (STL.OL: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), had left
for Egypt [ID:nN14103743], though it returned to the Gulf in March.

* Ensco Plc (ESV.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Dec. 1 its
newly built 8503 rig, under contracted with Cobalt, would work for Tullow
Oil Plc (TLW.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) off French Guiana.
[ID:nN01131883] The contract runs until Aug. 11.

* Pride International Inc's (ESV.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
newly built Deep Ocean Ascension, under contract with BP, was due to move to
the Mediterranean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico this quarter.

* Noble Corp (NE.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Jan. 27,
2011, that the Clyde Boudreaux would move to Brazil for a year at a
knock-down rate of $290,000 per day to work for Royal Dutch Shell Plc
(RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) in mid-April, and it expected
more to follow. [ID:nN27125865]

* Diamond said on June 14 the Ocean Monarch would leave the U.S. Gulf of
Mexico later this year to start work in November on a three-month contract
with BP in Vietnam. [ID:nN14250968] (Compiled by Braden Reddall and Anna
Driver, editing by Bernard Orr)