PV Drilling commissions PV Drilling IX jackup

PetroVietnam Drilling held a naming ceremony for its PV Drilling IX jackup on 27 March at the PTSC Downstream Port in Ho Chi Minh City. Built in 2016, the rig previously operated in the North Sea for Maersk and TotalEnergies before PV Drilling acquired it. The company conducted negotiations, on-site surveys and inspections in Denmark before towing the unit to Vietnam.

PV Drilling IX is a multipurpose jackup built to the Friede & Goldman JU2000E standard design, equipped with systems from NOV and SLB. It has a maximum operating water depth of 129.5 m and can drill to depths of 9,144 m. The rig is capable of HPHT operations and can accommodate up to 170 personnel.

With the addition of PV Drilling IX, PV Drilling now operates a fleet of six jackups and one semisubmersible tender-assisted drilling rig, all currently under contract in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. The rig is expected to begin providing drilling services in April 2026.