Offshore drilling contractor Transocean said it secured around $243mn in backlog after BP and Petrobras exercised contract options to keep two ultra-deepwater drillships in operation in the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, OE reported.

BP extended the Deepwater Atlas drillship's contract for 365 days in direct continuation of its current work in the US Gulf. The extension is valued at roughly .

The vessel, delivered in 2022, is described by as the world's first eighth-generation drillship with a 20,000 psi well control system. It can drill in 12,000 feet of water and reach depths of 40,000 feet, with capacity for 220 crew.

extended the Deepwater Mykonos drillship by 30 days, adding about to Transocean's backlog. Earlier this year, the Brazilian firm had already exercised a 60-day option for the same rig.

Built in 2011 with an Enhanced Samsung 10000 design, the unit can accommodate 205 people and drill up to 35,000 feet in water depths of 10,000 feet.

The extensions follow Transocean's recent disclosure that it plans to sell five stacked rigs, including four drillships and one semi-submersible.