Noble Tom Madden drills at Whiptail’s WT_2i01 center

Aug 31, 2026

0 0 Less than a minute

The Noble Tom Madden ultra-deepwater drillship will begin a three-year contract with Freeport-McMoran at $610,000/day in mid-December. Contract backlogs will likely be a strong tool for drilling contractors to manage the current lull in new rig fixtures.

ExxonMobil is continuing developmental drilling operations at the Whiptail Project’s WT_2i01 drill center within the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana. The MODU Noble Tom Madden is carrying out the drilling, with operations set to run through 30 September.

The WT_2i01 drill center sits about 110.51 nautical miles off the Guyana coast in the Stabroek Block, within Guyana’s exclusive economic zone, and covers an area of roughly 0.29 square nautical miles. A fleet of support vessels is accompanying the operation, displaying the international signal for vessels engaged in drilling activities.

Aug 31, 2026

0 0 Less than a minute