SeaDrill posted first-quarter operating profit of $23.8 million against a loss of $10 million for the fourth quarter.
Bermuda-registered SeaDrill was listed on the Oslo bourse in November 2005 and did not give year-earlier comparison figures.
The company, controlled by Norwegian shipping tycoon John Fredriksen, emerged from obscurity last year and took over oil driller Smedvig this year to take a leading position in the fragmented Norwegian rig industry.
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