July 29 – Indonesia, West Africa, the Arabian Gulf and Latin America: Saipem has been awarded new drilling contracts in different parts of the world for a value of approximately $850 million, of which $540 million related to offshore activities and Saipem’s fleet. The company signed with Eni Muara Bakau B.V. a contract for the use of the Scarabeo 7 for drilling 12 offshore wells in Indonesia; the project will be completed by the first quarter of 2017. The Scarabeo will remain under contract with Eni until February 2018. Scarabeo 7 is a fifth generation semi-submersible drilling vehicle that can operate at depths up to 1500 meters. In West Africa, the contract for the use of the Scarabeo 3 – a second generation semi-submersible drilling vehicle that can operate at depths up to 450 meters – has been extended until March 2015. Moreover, NDC has extended for another 24 months the drilling rig contract for the Perro Negro 2 vehicle for self-lifting drilling operations in the Arabian Gulf, starting January 2015. In Latin America, Saipem has been awarded new contracts in Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia. In Ecuador, EP Petroamazonas has signed a 10-month rental of the self-lifting drilling rig Ocean Spur, operatively managed but not owned by Saipem, until the end of the first quarter of 2015. Perro Negro 2 and the Ocean Spur are both drill ships that can operate at depths up to 90 meters. Concerning onshore drilling, Saipem has been awarded new contracts by several customers for approximately $310 million for the rental of 31 rigs in Latin America: 21 in Venezuela, 7 in Peru, 2 in Colombia, and 1 in Ecuador. The contracts have a duration ranging from three months to two years, and will all start in the course of 2014.
