Seadrill's Drillships Secure Key Contracts in the Gulf of America

Seadrill Limited SDRL, an offshore drilling contractor, has secured new drilling contracts for two of its drillships, namely West Vela and Sevan Louisiana, in the Gulf of America. The offshore driller secured a two-well contract with Talos Energy TALO for its West Vela drillship. The assignment is slated to start in November 2025. The estimated duration of the contract is 90 days.

Seadrill had secured another contract with Murphy Oil MUR, a U.S.-based oil and gas company, for the Sevan Louisiana drillship. The contract involves drilling three wells for Murphy Oil in the Gulf of America. The company began work on this contract in August 2025, and it is expected to continue until November this year.

Details of the West Vela and Sevan Louisiana Drillships

The West Vela drillship boasts a Samsung 12,000 design and has a maximum drilling depth of up to 37,500 feet. The drillship was built in 2013. It can operate in water depths of 12,000 feet and can accommodate 200 people.

The Sevan Louisiana drillship boasts a Sevan 650 design and has a maximum drilling depth of up to 35,000 feet. The drillship was built in 2013. It can operate in water depths of 10,000 feet and can accommodate 150 people.

Backlog

SDRL announced the new contracts alongside its second-quarter results. As of August 2025, the company’s order backlog was approximately $2.5 billion.

Second Quarter Highlights of TALO and MUR

Talos Energy reported its second-quarter results on Aug. 6, 2025. The company posted total revenues of $424 million and an adjusted loss of 27 cents per share. It also reported total production of 93 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (Mboe/d). TALO stated that it has achieved first production from the Katmai West#2 and Sunspear wells in the quarter.

Murphy Oil posted adjusted net earnings of 27 cents per share and total revenues of $696 million. The company’s production totaled 190 Mboe/d in the second quarter. MUR also closed an Eagle Ford Shale acquisition worth $23 million in the quarter. The transaction is subject to certain post-closing adjustments. 

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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