The company, which focuses solely on ultra-deepwater assets, has six drillships in operation in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and Nigeria. It took delivery of a seventh unit, the Pacific Meltem, in late November, and is due to receive an eighth, the Pacific Zonda, in mid-2015.
In a presentation to investors at the Cowen & Company fourth annual ultimate energy conference, chief executive Chris Beckett said Pacific Drilling expects 91 high-spec, deep-water rigs to be available to the market by the end of next year, with projected demand seen only slightly lower at 89 such units.
He
