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RIG

Transocean secures $1.0 billion in drilling work

Transocean said it secured new and extended drilling work worth about $1.0 billion in incremental firm backlog, while also retiring $358 million of senior secured notes ahead of maturity.

The biggest new award was for the Transocean Barents, which landed a 1,095-day contract with Vår Energi in Norway at $450,000 a day, excluding additional services. The program is expected to begin by mid-second-quarter 2027 and add about $490 million to backlog, excluding mobilization and demobilization payments.

Two Petrobras extensions in Brazil added another $580 million of backlog. The Deepwater Orion received a 1,095-day extension expected to contribute about $420 million and keep the rig committed through March 2030. Before that extension starts in March 2027, the company said existing backlog will decline by about $20 million over roughly 340 days.

The Deepwater Aquila received a 365-day extension expected to add about $160 million and extend its commitment through June 2028. Before the new term begins in June 2027, existing backlog will fall by about $10 million over roughly 450 days.

On the financing side, Transocean retired its 8.375% senior secured notes due 2028 on March 20, 2026. The company said the notes were settled using cash on hand and money from the related debt service reserve account. It expects about $39 million in interest expense savings to maturity.

Including that retirement, Transocean said it now expects to retire a total of $0.75 billion of debt in 2026, excluding any additional early paydowns. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved 1.77% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $6.89. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.

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