Seadrill has added roughly $200 million to its contract backlog across three rig deals in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Malaysia, lifting the offshore drilling contractor's total backlog to about $2.9 billion as of August 10, 2026.

The Bermuda-headquartered contractor secured the awards and extensions for one semi-submersible rig and two drillships operating in the Americas and Asia, according to Seadrill.

What did each rig win?

The largest single award went to the West Vela, a 2013-built drillship, which clinched a one-year contract with Talos Energy in the U.S. Gulf. The contract begins in June 2027 and adds about $161 million to backlog, excluding additional services.

The West Capella, a 2008-built drillship working for PTTEP in Malaysia, received an extension estimated at 75 days. The added work is worth approximately $26 million to backlog, excluding additional services, and commits the rig into August 2027.

The third asset, the 2013-built Sevan Louisiana semi-submersible, added around 45 days in direct continuation of its prior program. The extension keeps the rig contracted in the U.S. Gulf into August 2026.

How does this fit Seadrill's wider booking run?

The three contracts extend a busy stretch for the contractor. In May 2026, Seadrill landed multiple contract awards across the Americas and Africa that added more than $860 million to its backlog.

Combined with this week's $200 million in awards and extensions, the contractor has booked over $1 billion in new rig work in roughly three months, deepwater and shelf programs on two continents.

The U.S. Gulf accounted for the bulk of the latest additions. The West Vela award alone represents about 80% of the new backlog value, anchored to a start date in mid-2027 that extends Seadrill's committed visibility in the basin well beyond the current contracting cycle.

What is the watch item?

The timeline gaps. The West Vela contract does not begin until June 2027, leaving the market watching for how Seadrill bridges any idle period for the drillship ahead of the Talos startup. Meanwhile, the Sevan Louisiana and West Capella extensions run only into August 2026 and August 2027 respectively — short-cycle commitments that will need follow-on work to keep the rigs employed beyond those dates.