STEINHAUSEN, Switzerland, Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) today issued a quarterly Fleet Status Report that provides the current status of, and contract information for, the company’s fleet of offshore drilling rigs.

Since its last Fleet Status Report, Transocean closed the acquisition of Ocean Rig UDW, Inc. on December 5, 2018. The transaction adds eight high-specification ultra-deepwater drillships and two harsh environment semisubmersibles to the Transocean fleet. In addition, the acquisition includes two high-specification ultra-deepwater drillships currently under construction at the Geoje Samsung shipyard in South Korea.

Transocean added approximately $907 million in contract backlog since its last report, bringing the company’s backlog to $12.2 billion.

Among the contract additions, Transocean signed a rig design and construction management contract, as well as a five-year drilling contract, with Chevron USA, Inc. for one of Transocean’s two dynamically positioned ultra-deepwater drillships under construction at the Jurong shipyard in Singapore. The drilling contract has an estimated backlog of $830 million, excluding mobilization and reimbursables. The rig will be the first ultra-deepwater floater rated for 20,000 psi operations and is expected to commence operations in the Gulf of Mexico in the second half of 2021.

This quarter’s report also includes the following new contracts:

• Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2 – Awarded a four-well contract offshore Australia via a term swap with the GSF Development Driller I. It was also awarded one four-well option;
• Leiv Eriksson – Customer exercised a one-well option in the Norwegian North Sea;
• Transocean Arctic – Customer exercised two one-well options in the Norwegian North Sea and the rig was awarded a two-well contract with another customer in the Norwegian North Sea;
• Discoverer India – Customer exercised two one-well options offshore Ivory Coast; and
• Transocean 712 – Customer exercised a one-well option offshore U.K. North Sea.

Additionally, the company intends to scrap the Ocean Rig Paros in an environmentally responsible manner; the rig is classified as held for sale.

The report can be accessed on the company’s website: www.deepwater.com.

About Transocean

Transocean is a leading international provider of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. The company specializes in technically demanding sectors of the global offshore drilling business with a particular focus on deepwater and harsh environment drilling services, and believes that it operates one of the most versatile offshore drilling fleets in the world.

Transocean owns or has partial ownership interests in, and operates a fleet of 49 mobile offshore drilling units consisting of 31 ultra-deepwater floaters, 14 harsh environment floaters, and four midwater floaters. In addition, Transocean is constructing four ultra-deepwater drillships; and one harsh environment semisubmersible in which the company has a one-third interest.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements described in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements contain words such as “possible,” “intend,” “will,” “if,” “expect,” or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions, and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, estimated duration of customer contracts, contract dayrate amounts, future contract commencement dates and locations, planned shipyard projects and other out-of-service time, sales of drilling units, timing of the company’s newbuild deliveries, operating hazards and delays, risks associated with international operations, actions by customers and other third parties, the future prices of oil and gas, the intention to scrap certain drilling rigs, the success of our business following the acquisitions of Songa Offshore SE and Ocean Rig UDW Inc., and other factors, including those and other risks discussed in the company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in the company’s other filings with the SEC, which are available free of charge on the SEC’s website at: www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize (or the other consequences of such a development worsen), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which we become aware of, after the date hereof, except as otherwise may be required by law. All non-GAAP financial measure reconciliations to the most comparative GAAP measure are displayed in quantitative schedules on the company’s website at: www.deepwater.com.

This press release, or referenced documents, do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and do not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of Transocean and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of Transocean.

Analyst Contacts:
Bradley Alexander
+1 713-232-7515

Lexington May
+1 832-587-6515

Media Contact:
Pam Easton
+1 713-232-7647