Petrobras has delayed the deadline for the operator to receive bids under a proposed charter for one or more ultra-deepwater units to 18 November.

The state-owned major wants units capable of operating in up to 2,400 m (7,874 ft) of water, but agreed to let its deadline slide a few weeks after requests from several of the contractors wanting to participate, DI hears. Petrobras wants to issue contracts for the new units by the end of this year, so that they can be available by the end of 2014.

The proposed charter will offer terms for three years, with options to renew for a further three years. This is Petrobras’ first rig tender for more than two years, although it is also currently in the midst of negotiations on extending several existing contracts with rigs, meaning the new tender could be simply a ploy to help keep the ongoing price negotiations for the extensions at a realistic level.

Petrobras has also been examining bids to supply workover rigs for the Campos and Santos basins, with the operator likely to opt for several units before the end of December, it is understood.

Offshore