Rig naming ceremony marks Hanwha Ocean’s entrance into deepwater drilling arena

Offshore drilling player Hanwha Drilling, part of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, has held a naming ceremony for a seventh-generation drillship, which will work off the coast of Brazil for Petrobras, the South American country’s energy giant.

Hanwha Drilling, with its partner, Constellation Oil Services, a Brazilian drilling contractor, and Petrobras, has taken what it describes as a major step into the offshore energy market with the official naming of its Tidal Action – formerly known as West Libra – drillship.

The naming ceremony took place in the presence of several figures from across the energy industry, including Philippe Levy, President of Offshore Business Unit at Hanwha Ocean; Renata Baruzzi, Director of Engineering, Technology & Innovation at Petrobras; Rodrigo Ribeiro, CEO of Constellation Oil Services; and Clay Coan, CEO of Hanwha Drilling.

Hanwha Ocean emphasized: “This milestone marks our full-scale entry into deepwater drilling operations, following the strategic launch of Hanwha Drilling in 2023 to independently operate its fleet.

“The Tidal Action drillship will be chartered by Brazil’s state-owned energy company Petrobras, through a long-term charter agreement secured by Hanwha Drilling’s partner, Constellation Oil Services.”

Baruzzi, acting as the godmother of the vessel, officially named the drillship Tidal Action. After winning a $500 million deal with Petrobras, the unit was being reactivated in the Hanwha Ocean shipyard to start operations with the Brazilian giant in the third quarter of 2025.

The rig, based on Hanwha Ocean’s proprietary design, is said to be equipped with advanced technology, enabling drilling at depths of up to 12 kilometers in waters as deep as 3,600 meters. This drillship features a dynamic positioning system and blowout preventers to ensure both operational efficiency and safety.

According to the company, the expansion of its services strengthens its position as a total offshore solution provider. The firm aims to establish a robust track record in deepwater projects while expanding its presence across the offshore energy value chain with its “eco-friendly and high-efficiency” drillship technologies.

“Delivering one of the world’s most advanced drillships and entering the offshore drilling market is a major achievement. We are confident that our technological edge and long-term strategy will position Hanwha Ocean as a global leader in offshore energy,” explained Levy.

The Tidal Action drillship will work on the Roncador field in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil, thanks to a contract, which is expected to take 30 months, as Petrobras decided to reopen this field to boost natural gas production.

Located northeast of Rio de Janeiro, the Roncador field is forecast to produce around 1.7 million cubic meters of gas per day. Once it starts its assignment in Brazilian waters, the Tidal Action rig will mark Constellation’s first time operating a third-party-owned unit.

One of Constellation’s ultra-deepwater drillships, Laguna Star, was hired to work together with the Tidal Action newbuild drillship at Petrobras’ Roncador field.