Offshore driller Transocean Ltd. has secured a contract for its harsh-environment semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Barents.

The ultra-deepwater floater, has been awarded a 15-month contract with Suncor Energy for drilling operations offshore Canada. The rig will be on a dayrate of $260,000.

The estimated contract backlog, excluding mobilization, is $119 million.

According to the driller’s previous fleet status reports, the drilling rig has been idle for more than a year now, more specifically, since September 2015.

Unless Transocean can find additional work for the rig prior to the Suncor contract start, the Transocean Barents is set for an extended wait. Namely, the Suncor contract is expected to start in the third quarter of 2017

As for the rig’s current status, according to Marine Traffic, the 2009-built rig is moored near Averoya, Norway.

Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com