Jindal Explorer hired to Petronas
Jindal Drilling's new-build jack-up Jindal Explorer has won a contract and is now likely to be unavailable for ONGC's tender to hire two high specification rigs, where the bid deadline is July 23.
Jindal is in the final stages of getting a contract offshore Malaysia with Petronas for Explorer for a 'firm' one year plus an 'optional' one year to drill in water depths of 300 feet (91 metres). Jindal will earn around $115,000/day.
Marathon Le Tourneau rig Explorer was built by Singapore's Keppel FELS shipyard for around $220m and delivered to Jindal in December 2014. It has been off Malaysia's Johor Bahru port since mid-January.
Explorer and new-build jack-up Jindal Pioneer, built at the Lamprell yard in Sharjah, were in the race for an ONGC contract last year but the tender was unexpectedly scrapped due to lobbying by Jindal's rivals. In May ONGC tried to award short term contracts without tender to these Jindal rigs and others but aborted the move to avoid allegations of favouritism.
