Transocean has secured two US Gulf drillship contracts expected to add approximately $550 million to its firm contract backlog, with new drilling campaigns scheduled to begin in 2027.
The Switzerland-based offshore drilling contractor announced the awards on 19 October 2026, covering the ultra-deepwater drillships Deepwater Proteus and Deepwater Conqueror. The operators involved in the two contracts were not identified.
The Deepwater Proteus has been contracted for a ten-well drilling programme expected to run for approximately 700 days. The assignment is valued at around $325 million in firm backlog, with operations scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027 following the rig’s current contract in the US Gulf.
The Deepwater Conqueror will undertake a five-well campaign with an estimated duration of 450 days. The contract is expected to contribute approximately $225 million to the company’s backlog, excluding mobilization fees. Work is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2027, directly after the drillship completes its existing programme in Equatorial Guinea.
The latest awards follow Transocean’s $1.1 billion backlog increase announced on 9 October, which included a new drilling contract with Shell and final approval of an existing agreement with Equinor for offshore operations in Norway.
