A New Era in Offshore Drilling: Ventura Offshore’s DS Atlantic Zonda Begins Operations with Petrobras

A newbuild ultra-deepwater drillship, managed by Ventura Offshore Midco, a subsidiary of the Brazilian deepwater offshore drilling contractor Ventura Offshore, has started its inaugural offshore drilling assignment in Brazilian waters with the South American country’s energy giant Petrobras.

Eldorado Drilling, an offshore drilling player backed by a group of well-known Norwegian investors, acquired the Zonda, formerly known as the Pacific Zonda, and another newbuild ultra-deepwater drillship from Samsung Heavy Industries in 2023, with delivery scheduled for 2024.

The seventh-generation new-build ultra-deepwater drillship underwent comprehensive upgrades at the Seatrium shipyard in Singapore to be equipped with advanced technological drilling capabilities in preparation for operations in Brazil.

The DS Atlantic Zonda, managed by Ventura Offshore through agreements with Eldorado Drilling, has now commenced operations with Petrobras under a three-year contract, with an option for an additional three years.

Featuring the Samsung 96K design, the Atlantic Zonda drillship is among the world’s most capable seventh-generation dual-activity rigs, capable of drilling in water depths of up to 12,000 feet (around 3,658 meters).

Guilherme Coelho, CEO of Ventura Offshore, praised the team for achieving this milestone and thanked Eldorado Drilling for their partnership. He expressed excitement about delivering safe and efficient operations to Petrobras with the Atlantic Zonda.

The rig, equipped with managed pressure drilling capability, has six thrusters with a capacity of 4,500 KW each, a total hook load of 1,250 t, and a variable deck load of 22,000 mt.

Svend Anton Maier, CEO of Eldorado Drilling, expressed excitement about commencing the contract and emphasized the strong relationship with Ventura and the dedication of the Zonda project team.

Petrobras has increased its exploration capex to develop new frontiers and expand production, with plans for additional FPSOs and drilling new wells by 2028. The company’s ‘Strategic Plan 2024-2028’ highlights a significant investment in decarbonization projects.