Seadrill Limited, a Bermuda-headquartered offshore drilling contractor listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has announced that Sonadrill Holding Ltd (Sonadrill), its 50:50 joint venture with Angola’s state-owned oil company Sonangol’ s exploration and production (E&P) division, has secured two new drilling contracts in Angola.

The joint venture (JV) combines Seadrill’s operational expertise with Sonangol’s assets to support exploration and production activities offshore Angola.

According to Seadrill, the West Gemini drillship has been contracted by Sonangol’s upstream arm for a drilling programme in Angolan waters with an estimated duration of 284 days. Work under the agreement is scheduled to begin in late 2025 or early 2026, the company said in a statement on August 25.

Separately, the Sonangol Libongos drillship has secured a contract with Azule Energy Angola, a joint venture between Italy’s Eni and British energy supermajor BP, which now is Angola’s largest independent oil and gas producer.

As per Seadrill’s statement, the contract with Azule Energy covers an initial firm term of 525 days, with additional priced extension options. Operations are expected to commence offshore Angola in the third quarter of 2025, directly following the completion of the vessel’s current programme.

The Sonadrill JV currently operates three high-specification drillships: the Seadrill-owned West Gemini, and the Sonangol-owned Sonangol Libongos and Sonangol Quenguela.

The West Gemini is a sixth-generation drillship capable of operating in water depths of up to 10,000 feet (3,048 metres) and drilling to a maximum depth of approximately 35,000 feet (10,668 metres). The Sonangol Libongos and Sonangol Quenguela are seventh-generation vessels, also able to operate in water depths up to 10,000 feet but with a slightly higher maximum drilling capacity of around 40,000 feet (12,192 metres).

While all three vessels are bareboat chartered into Sonadrill, Seadrill provides management, operational, and technical support to the venture, earning management fees in return.

Together, these rigs represent some of the most advanced offshore drilling assets in the Angolan market. They are deployed for long-term contracts across major deepwater concessions such as Blocks 15, 17, and 32 in the prolific Lower Congo Basin off Angola’s northwest coast.

Seadrill describes itself as a global leader in offshore drilling, specialising in deepwater operations. With a modern fleet, advanced drilling technologies, and experienced crews, the company provides safe and efficient drilling services to national, integrated, and independent oil and gas companies worldwide.