Odfjell Drilling of Norway and Metro Exploration (Th. Angellopoulos Group) have teamed up in a joint venture to own a pair of two ultra-deepwater drillships to be delivered from Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea, during Q1 and Q2 2011. The drillships are of Gusto design, and will be equipped for operations in water depths to 3,000m (10,000ft), but are designed to be upgraded for operations in waters as deep as 4,000m. Metro Exploration will retain 60% ownership in the vessels ordered earlier this year from HHI, and Odfjell Drilling will take a 40% stake and be responsible for the construction supervision, marketing and operation of the vessels.
