Sonadrill an Angolan drilling joint venture between National Oil Company Sonangol and drilling contractor Seadrill – will launch its fourth drillship in Angola in early 2025, Petra Lussana Pina, Drilling Trainee, Sonadrill told Energy Capital & Power.

In an exclusive interview during Angola Oil & Gas 2024, Pina said the launch of the new drillship falls under efforts to meet the growing demand for drilling services and equipment as Angola intensifies oil and gas exploration.

“We now have three drillships operating in Angola, with two belonging to Sonangol and one to Seadrill,” stated Pina, adding “We can’t speak about the growth of Angola’s oil and gas sector without drilling new wells hence we are incorporating new technologies and drilling equipment to meet growing demand for new wells and drilling services at high-speed.”

She said the location of the new rig is not yet confirmed but it is believed the facility will be working with Sonangol.

Today, Sonadrill’s drillships are conducting exploration for Azule Energy in Block 15/06 while two are being used by TotalEnergies in Block 17, according to Pina