Seadrill announced that its 50:50 joint venture with an affiliate of Sonangol  has secured two new contracts in Angola, marking a significant step towards long-term success in the region.

The contracts, secured by Sonadrill Holding, involve the drill ships West Gemini and Sonangol Libongos.

The West Gemini, owned by Seadrill, is slated to begin a 284-day contract with Sonangol Exploração & Produção in late 2025 or early 2026.

Meanwhile, Sonangol Libongos, one of the two Sonangol-owned units, has received a contract from Azule Energy Angola for an estimated firm term of 525 days, with additional priced options. This programme is scheduled to start offshore Angola in the third quarter of 2025, following the company’s ongoing contract.

Sonadrill currently operates three drill ships, including the Seadrill-owned West Gemini and two Sonangol-owned units, the Sonangol Libongos and Sonangol Quenguela.

Seadrill earns a management fee for providing comprehensive management, operational, and technical support to the joint venture.

In recent developments, Seadrill completed the sale of its jack-up rig, the West Prospero, for $45m in December of the previous year.

Additionally, Angola announced plans in November of last year to launch a multi-year licensing round for oil and gas acreage starting in 2026.

The initiative aims to boost production and attract further investment to counter the decline in output from ageing oilfields.

The upcoming auction follows the first multi-year auction for the 2019–25 period, which included 50 onshore and offshore blocks.