Dolphin Drilling unveils new deepwater drillship

Aberdeen-based Dolphin Drilling, one of the oldest and largest independent drilling contracting companies in the North Sea, unveiled its new 751-ft ultra deepwater rig, Bolette Dolphin, at a naming ceremony at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, where it is currently being built.

The drillship, designed for efficient deepwater drilling and completion activity, will start work for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation later this year and has been contracted for a four-year international campaign.

“The naming ceremony of the Bolette Dolphin hails a key step in the company’s strategic development with a deepwater focus, directly in line with industry demands as exploration and production continues to push to ever deeper depths. The ship marks a significant investment for the group and will be one of the most advanced deepwater drillships in the market,” Graeme Murray, managing director at Dolphin Drilling, said.

“Equipped to operate within 12,000 ft of water, with a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 ft, we are confident it will deliver favorable results for Anadarko and its major exploration campaign.”