SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Noble Corp reported on Friday some new work for a deepwater rig and two shallow-water jackup rigs, giving its stock some support on a down day for the oilfield services sector.
Marathon Oil Corp will keep the Paul Romano deepwater rig in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico until July 16, 2010, for a dayrate of $374,000 to $376,000, Noble said in its latest fleet status update. The price is $107,000 lower than the rate in the current contract which ends in February, it noted.
One Noble jackup rig, the Ed Holt, is spending about a month in the shipyard in India for upgrades and inspection before starting in January a five-year contract with Jindal Drilling & Industries Ltd through a deal with Oil & Natural Gas Corp Ltd, at $58,000 to $60,000 per day.
And in the Middle East, another jackup, the Cees van Diemen, has moved out of the shipyard to provide accommodation for workers off Qatar until March 10 next year, at a rate of $52,000 to $54,000 per day.
While deepwater rig demand has remained steady due to their relative scarcity, demand for jackup rigs that stand on legs on the sea floor and drill in shallow waters collapsed in the past year along with energy prices. But drilling executives have seen signs of more jackup interest in some parts of the world.
Noble shares, after closing at their lowest for almost two months on Thursday, were 0.1 percent higher at $39.82 at mid-afternoon after hitting a high of $41.49. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange oil service index was down 1 percent as oil prices slid.
(Reporting by Braden Reddall; Editing by Richard Chang) Keywords: NOBLECORP/ (braden.reddall@thomsonreuters.com; +1 415 677 2543; braden.reddall.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Marathon Oil Corp will keep the Paul Romano deepwater rig in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico until July 16, 2010, for a dayrate of $374,000 to $376,000, Noble said in its latest fleet status update. The price is $107,000 lower than the rate in the current contract which ends in February, it noted.
One Noble jackup rig, the Ed Holt, is spending about a month in the shipyard in India for upgrades and inspection before starting in January a five-year contract with Jindal Drilling & Industries Ltd through a deal with Oil & Natural Gas Corp Ltd, at $58,000 to $60,000 per day.
And in the Middle East, another jackup, the Cees van Diemen, has moved out of the shipyard to provide accommodation for workers off Qatar until March 10 next year, at a rate of $52,000 to $54,000 per day.
While deepwater rig demand has remained steady due to their relative scarcity, demand for jackup rigs that stand on legs on the sea floor and drill in shallow waters collapsed in the past year along with energy prices. But drilling executives have seen signs of more jackup interest in some parts of the world.
Noble shares, after closing at their lowest for almost two months on Thursday, were 0.1 percent higher at $39.82 at mid-afternoon after hitting a high of $41.49. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange oil service index was down 1 percent as oil prices slid.
(Reporting by Braden Reddall; Editing by Richard Chang) Keywords: NOBLECORP/ (braden.reddall@thomsonreuters.com; +1 415 677 2543; braden.reddall.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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