Diamond Offshore Drilling Limited, a subsidiary of Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc., has entered into a turnkey contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. for construction of a new ultra-deepwater drillship. With delivery scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2014, the total cost, including commissioning, spares and project management, but excluding capitalized interest, is approximately USD 655 million.
The new drillship, to be named Ocean BlackLion, will be of the same design as Diamond Offshore’s three units currently on order with Hyundai. Design specifications include dynamic-positioning, dual activity capability, a maximum hook-load capacity of 1250tons, and operating capability at water depths up to 12,000ft, though initially outfitted for operation at 10,000ft. The unit will also feature two seven-ram blowout preventer (BOP) stacks, with the second available for use as a spare.
