OREANDA-NEWS. August 29, 2012. Maersk Drilling has taken the first challenging step into deepwater drilling in West Africa and the results so far support its high ambitions for the area. After only one full month in operation the M?rsk Deliverer has been awarded 'Super Rig of the Month'.

Maersk Drilling has entered Angola for the first time and after only one full month in operation for Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Limited, local setup of Chevron Angola, the M?rsk Deliverer has been awarded 'Super Rig of the Month' amongst the six rigs the oil company is operating in Angola.

West Africa, such as Angola, is believed to have one of the largest ultra deepwater oil reserves in the world, and it is one of Maersk Drilling’s main areas of interest when employing its growing fleet and aiming to deliver USD 1.0 billion to the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group’s profit medium term.

"We consider deepwater drilling to be the most compelling growth story in the offshore space, and as the award in Angola indicates we have a strong competitive position to take part in this growth due to our high skilled employees and state-of-the-art equipment,” says Claus V. Hemmingsen, CEO of Maersk Drilling and member of the Executive Board of the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group.

Maersk Drilling has invested USD 4.5 billion in new drilling rigs since 2011, and the newbuildings will be added to one of the youngest and most modern offshore rig fleets in the world.

Commitment to success

Jens C. Rise, rig manager on Maersk Deliverer says:

"Of course this title is well received and we regard it as a big acknowledgement of our efforts getting started in a safe and efficient manner on the contract with Chevron. I am very proud of this achievement. More importantly, I am proud of the crew's constant commitment to success, which they have shown not only on this contract but throughout the complete West African drilling campaign."