Diamond Offshore Drilling has exercised its option to build a second ultra-deepwater drillship with Hyundai Heavy Industries with delivery scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2013.
Total cost, including commissioning, spares and project management, is expected to be approximately US$590 million and is anticipated to be paid out of cash flow and available funds. Diamond Offshore has also obtained from Hyundai a fixed-price option for the purchase of a third drillship which the company has the right to exercise at any time before the end of the first quarter of 2011. The two new drillships will be named ‘Ocean BlackHawk’ and ‘Ocean BlackHornet’.