The shipyard owners of the last remaining newbuild drillships and semi-submersibles are evaluating sale options and other ways of maximising value and returns from the assets.

A large pool of drillships and semisubs was abandoned some years back by the companies that had originally ordered them.

In the past year or more, the improved dynamics in the global deepwater drilling market has seen most of these abandoned floater rigs purchased from the yards by established drilling contractors.