Petrovietnam Drilling and Well Service Corporation (PV Drilling) has been revealed as the buyer of the Noble Highlander jackup.
Noble said in its most recent fleet status report that it entered into a definitive agreement to sell the 2016-built cold-stacked rig for $65m to an undisclosed buyer.
The driller also added that the sale was expected to close in the third quarter. The rig, now renamed PV Drilling IX, has been handed over to PV Drilling’s technical team in Denmark.
The rig is of a Friede Goldman 2000E design, and can work in the North Sea, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. It is capable of a maximum drilling depth of up to 9,144 m and operating in water depths up to 130 m.
PV Drilling will reactivate the rig in Denmark within one month. After that, the rig shall be mobilised from Denmark to Ho Chi Minh City within 50 to 60 days.
The rig is scheduled to be put into operation for the first client at the end of March or at the beginning of April 2026.
