Seadrill makes two senior management changes

Offshore drilling contractor Seadrill Limited has appointed Reid Warriner as Chief Operating Officer and Leif Neilson as Chief Technology Officer, effective immediately.

Seadrill said on Thursday that these senior management changes build upon the significant contributions Reid Warriner and Leif Nelson have already delivered in their previous roles at Seadrill.

As Chief Operating Officer, Reid Warriner will oversee daily operational delivery for Seadrill’s customers across the harsh environment, jack-up and floater operating units.

In this role, Warriner will drive to achieve the highest safety standards whilst enhancing the operational performance of Seadrill’s long-term fleet and scrapping assets which will no longer have a role to play.

As Chief Technology Officer, Leif Nelson will focus on the future development of the fleet.

In this regard, Nelson will continue the development of Seadrill’s innovation pipeline with the adoption of new technologies which will deliver more efficient and safer operational capabilities whilst reducing Seadrill and its clients’ environmental footprint.

Stuart Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “As Seadrill navigates a difficult market, we will seek ways to differentiate our capabilities, not just through operational efficiency but also with respect to the application of technology.

“I am delighted that Reid and Leif are taking on these roles, both focused very much on delivering for our customers – today and tomorrow”.

Jackson previously held the CFO role until he succeeded Anton Dibowitz as of 1 October 2020.

Seadrill has been struggling in the challenging offshore market this year. The rig owner has recently been left exposed to legal actions by its creditors after its forbearance agreements expired and no new ones have been put in place.

Seadrill continues to maintain its readiness to carry out a comprehensive restructuring of its balance sheet, which may involve the use of a court-supervised process.

Furthermore, Seadrill Partners, which is 35 per cent owned by Seadrill Limited, has already filed for voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code to preserve value and to continue the operation and marketing its assets.