HAMILTON, Bermuda–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) (“Valaris” or the “Company”) announced today that it has been awarded a multi-year contract with Equinor Energy do Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Equinor ASA (“Equinor”), for drillship VALARIS DS-17. The contract relates to work offshore Brazil on Project Raia. Equinor’s project partners are Repsol Sinpoec Brazil (35%) and Petrobras (30%).
The estimated total contract value is approximately $498 million, inclusive of MPD, additional services and fees for mobilization and minor rig upgrades. The contract has an estimated total duration of 852 days.
- The contract includes a 672-day drilling program that is expected to commence in the first half of 2026.
- The rig will be on standby for an estimated duration of 180 days between the end of the rig’s current program and the beginning of the operating period.
- During the standby period, the rig may be available for work both inside and outside Brazil, which could lead to incremental revenue.
President and Chief Executive Officer Anton Dibowitz said, “This contract award is a testament to the quality of our crews and the collaborative nature of our relationship with Equinor. We are grateful to Equinor for the investments they have made in leading-edge safety and automation technology on VALARIS DS-17 and the trust they have placed in us to execute their development programs offshore Brazil. In addition, this contract further underscores our track record of delivering high-performing assets following a reactivation.”
Dibowitz added, “We continue to execute our commercial strategy by securing new contracts at higher day rates and consistently building our backlog as evidenced by this multi-year drillship contract. We see strong customer demand for work that is expected to commence in 2025 and 2026 that will continue to support our anticipated earnings and cash flow growth over the next few years.”
About Valaris Limited
Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) is the industry leader in offshore drilling services across all water depths and geographies. Operating a high-quality rig fleet of ultra-deepwater drillships, versatile semisubmersibles and modern shallow-water jackups, Valaris has experience operating in nearly every major offshore basin. Valaris maintains an unwavering commitment to safety, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction, with a focus on technology and innovation. Valaris Limited is a Bermuda exempted company (Bermuda No. 56245). To learn more, visit our website at www.valaris.com.
Cautionary Statements
Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “likely,” “plan,” “project,” “could,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “will” and similar words and specifically include statements regarding expected financial performance; expected utilization, day rates, revenues, operating expenses, cash flows, contract status, terms and duration, contract backlog, capital expenditures, insurance, financing and funding; the offshore drilling market, including supply and demand, customer drilling programs, stacking of rigs, effects of new rigs on the market and effect of the volatility of commodity prices; expected work commitments, awards, contracts and letters of intent; scheduled delivery dates for rigs; performance of our joint ventures, including our joint venture with Saudi Aramco; timing of the delivery of the Saudi Aramco Rowan Offshore Drilling Company (“ARO”) newbuild rigs and the timing of additional ARO newbuild orders; the availability, delivery, mobilization, contract commencement, availability, relocation or other movement of rigs and the timing thereof; rig reactivations; suitability of rigs for future contracts; divestitures of assets; general economic, market, business and industry conditions, including inflation and recessions, trends and outlook; general political conditions, including political tensions, conflicts and war (such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine); cybersecurity attacks and threats; impacts and effects of public health crises, pandemics and epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; future operations; ability to renew expiring contracts or obtain new contracts, including for VALARIS DS-13 and VALARIS DS-14; increasing regulatory complexity; targets, progress, plans and goals related to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters; the outcome of tax disputes; assessments and settlements; and expense management. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated, including cancellation, suspension, renegotiation or termination of drilling contracts and programs; our ability to obtain financing, service our debt, fund capital expenditures and pursue other business opportunities; adequacy of sources of liquidity for us and our customers; future share repurchases; actions by regulatory authorities, or other third parties; actions by our security holders; internal control risk; commodity price fluctuations and volatility, customer demand, loss of a significant customer or customer contract, downtime and other risks associated with offshore rig operations; adverse weather, including hurricanes; changes in worldwide rig supply, including as a result of reactivations and newbuilds; and demand, competition and technology; supply chain and logistics challenges; consumer preferences for alternative fuels and forecasts or expectations regarding the global energy transition; increased scrutiny of our ESG targets, including our Scope 1 emissions intensity reduction target, initiatives and reporting and our ability to achieve such targets or initiatives; changes in customer strategy; future levels of offshore drilling activity; governmental action, civil unrest and political and economic uncertainties, including recessions, volatility affecting the banking system and financial markets, inflation and adverse changes in the level of international trade activity; terrorism, piracy and military action; risks inherent to shipyard rig reactivation, upgrade, repair, maintenance or enhancement; our ability to enter into, and the terms of, future drilling contracts; suitability of rigs for future contracts; the cancellation of letters of intent or letters of award or any failure to execute definitive contracts following announcements of letters of intent, letters of award or other expected work commitments; the outcome of litigation, legal proceedings, investigations or other claims or contract disputes; governmental regulatory, legislative and permitting requirements affecting drilling operations; our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel on commercially reasonable terms; environmental or other liabilities, risks or losses; compliance with our debt agreements and debt restrictions that may limit our liquidity and flexibility; cybersecurity risks and threats; and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. In addition to the numerous factors described above, you should also carefully read and consider “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part I and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, which is available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.valaris.com. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Contacts
Investor & Media Contacts:
Nick Georgas
Vice President – Treasurer and Investor Relations
+1-713-979-4632
Tim Richardson
Director – Investor Relations
+1-713-979-4619
