Valaris rig en route to Angola for new drilling assignment

A jack-up rig owned by offshore drilling contractor Valaris is en route to Angola for a drilling contract it secured last year, following preparations in Texas.

According to Valaris, after completing a project at the Kiewit Shipyard in Corpus Christi, Texas, the VALARIS 144 rig has embarked on a voyage to Angola for its new drilling contract.

“The VALARIS 144 was in the shipyard in preparation for its drilling campaign; the rig was loaded onto a heavy lift vessel, starting its journey to Angola,” said Bud Baylis, Rig Manager.

To remind, it was reported in the summer of 2024 that the offshore drilling firm had secured a one-well contract for Valaris 144 offshore Angola, starting in the first quarter of 2025 and expected to take around 45 days. The estimated total contract value is approximately $8.5 million.

Valaris 144 had also been contracted for a 13-well contract offshore Angola. The deal, anticipated to commence in the second quarter of 2025, has an estimated duration of between 730 and 770 days, with the total contract value calculated to be between $149 million and $156 million.

Both contracts are for the same operator, which remains undisclosed.