New ENSCO 8500 Ultra-Deepwater Semisubmersible Drilling Rig Starts Operations Under Contract with Anadarko and Eni
Ensco International Incorporated (NYSE: ESV) announced today that the ENSCO 8500, the first of seven new ultra-deepwater semisubmersible drilling rigs in the ENSCO 8500 Series®, has commenced operations in the Gulf of Mexico under a four-year contract with Anadarko and Eni. Chairman, President and CEO Dan Rabun commented, “Over the past several years, we strategically have committed more than $3 billion to the expansion of our ultra-deepwater fleet to better serve the needs of our customers. Today, we achieved a milestone in the implementation phase of the ENSCO 8500 Series® deepwater initiative with the commencement of operations by ENSCO 8500 under a long-term drilling contract signed in September 2005.” Mr. Rabun added, “Our ultra-deepwater semisubmersible drilling rigs complement our premium jackup fleet and will become a progressively larger segment of Ensco’s total rig fleet around the world.”