At 6AM on December 25, 2025, Petrovietnam Drilling & Well Service Corporation (PV Drilling)’s jack-up rig PV DRILLING IX arrived in Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, completing a two-month transport journey from Europe to Vietnam, covering a total distance of 12,855.6 nautical miles.
This marks a major milestone in the reactivation program for the PV DRILLING IX rig, a recent investment by PV Drilling. It initiates the final preparation phase before the rig commences its drilling campaigns in April 2026.
Previously, on October 30, 2025, the PV DRILLING IX rig departed from the Port of Esbjerg (Denmark) and moved to the Port of Rotterdam (Netherlands) to be loaded onto a specialized transport vessel for its voyage to Vietnam. According to the representative of PV Drilling, the transport process was executed safely and on schedule, in full compliance with international maritime safety and technical standards.
The PV DRILLING IX rig on a specialized transport vessel arriving in Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, on the morning of December 25, 2025
During the initial reactivation phase in Denmark starting in September 2025, the PV DRILLING IX rig successfully completed the inspection, operation, and commissioning of several critical systems and equipment as required by ABS class standards. These included safety equipment, crane systems, engines, power generators, and the rig’s jacking system. All vital technical items met the requirements, establishing a crucial foundation for returning the rig to service following its maintenance and technical preparation period in Europe.
The PV DRILLING IX pictured from above
Upon arrival in Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, the PV DRILLING IX rig will undergo an Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Drydocking (UWILD) and enter the second phase of reactivation over a three-month period. This phase includes major overhauls of machinery and equipment, piping replacement, accommodation upgrades, and system installation and commissioning. These efforts will ensure the rig is fully operational and ready for its new drilling campaign, scheduled to commence in April 2026.
PV Drilling will commence operations of the PV DRILLING IX drilling rig in April 2026, which will enhance drilling capacity and increase the workload for drilling-related services in the Vietnamese and regional markets. This deployment is expected to drive revenue and profit growth for the core services of the Corporation and its subsidiaries throughout 2026 and the following years.
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The PV DRILLING IX rig is designed based on the Friede & Goldman JU-2000E model, a modern jack-up rig design widely utilized in regions with stringent safety and technical requirements, such as the North Sea, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. The rig is capable of drilling to depths of 30,000 feet (9,144 m) and operating efficiently in water depths of up to 425 feet (129.5 m). Equipped with an NOV BLM jacking system featuring high automation, the rig is well-suited for long-term drilling campaigns in seas with complex geological structures, particularly for new production wells requiring Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) techniques.
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