Fossil Energy – Drilling
Transocean 12,000-ft drillship Deepwater Thalassa is en route from the Bahamas to Mexico, after spending around a month in Freeport undergoing contract preparations.
The rig is to begin work on a long-term contract for Woodside later this month, carrying out development drilling at the deepwater Trion field from March 2026 to February 2029.
In its most recent quarterly report, Woodside stated that Trion remains on target for first oil in 2028. Aside from the drilling campaign, Woodside is also preparing to begin installation of subsea umbilicals, risers, flowlines and the gas gathering line.
Deepwater Thalassa is a DSME 12000 design unit, delivered in 2015. Woodside will be the second operator to use the rig, which worked for Shell in the US Gulf and Colombia from 2016 to early 2026.
The rig will be the first drillship active in Mexican waters since Shell drilled there with Noble Voyager from late 2022 to mid-2023.
