Ensco 8500: New rig spins a bit in the US Gulf.
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Ensco 8500 gets to work in US Gulf
US driller Ensco International said its Ensco 8500 ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drilling rigs is starting work under a four-year contract with US independent Anadarko and Italy’s Eni.
The newbuild rig is rated to work in water depths up to 8500 feet and can be modified to work in water depths up to 10,000 feet.
Shipbuilding giant Keppel Fels built the Ensco 8500 in Singapore and is constructing the remainder of the Ensco 8500 Series seven-rig fleet in the same shipyard.
The next rig in the series, Ensco 8501, is expected to begin operating in mid-October under a three and one-half year contract in the US Gulf.