The drillship, will be named as Atwood Advantage, is expected to be delivered by 30 September 2013 at a total cost of approximately $600m.
The company said that the drillship will be a DP-3 dynamically-positioned, dual derrick ultra-deepwater drillship rated to operate in water depths up to 12,000ft and to drill to a depth of 40,000ft.
Upon delivery, the Atwood Advantage will become the fifteenth mobile offshore drilling unit owned by the company group, according to the company.
AOPL also secured priced options to construct one or two additional ultra-deepwater drillships, which require commitment by AOPL within nine months after contract execution.
