SDRL - North Atlantic Drilling Ltd. takes delivery of the harsh environment jack-up rig West Elara

Hamilton, Bermuda, August 9, 2011 - North Atlantic Drilling Ltd., in which
Seadrill has a 75 percent ownership, has taken delivery of the new harsh
environment jack-up drilling rig, West Elara from Jurong Shipyard in Singapore.
The rig is expected to depart Singapore on August 11th and arrive at Westcon
Shipyard in Ølen, Norway in early October in order to undertake final contract
preparation activities. The West Elara is expected to begin operations for
Statoil on a five- year contract during late November 2011.
 
The West Elara is the first of two Gusto MSC CJ70 150A rigs to be constructed
for North Atlantic Drilling Ltd. The rig is an advanced, ultra large, harsh
environment, high specification drilling unit, specifically built for Norwegian
requirements and matching the specifications of the largest jack-up drilling
units in the world. The unit can operate in water depth up to 150 meters with a
higher variable deck load and a higher operating efficiency compared to earlier
generation jack-ups. The size of the unit allows for additional opportunities in
terms of logistics, well testing and early production.
 
Alf C. Thorkildsen, Chief Executive Officer in Seadrill Management AS and
Chairman of North Atlantic Drilling Ltd, said, "We are pleased to take delivery
of the West Elara, the first of two new ultra large and harsh environment jack-
ups to be added to the North Atlantic Drilling fleet. We look forward to seeing
this new and advanced drilling unit operating on the Norwegian Continental
Shelf, creating growth for North Atlantic Drilling ahead of its listing on the
Oslo Stock Exchange, increasing our presence in this key region and further
strengthening our relationship with Statoil, one of our most important
customers."
 
Analyst contact:
Jim Dåtland
Vice President Investor Relations
Seadrill Management AS
+47 51 30 99 19
 
Media contact:
Esa Ikäheimonen
Chief Financial Officer
Seadrill Management AS
+47 51 30 99 19
 
This information is subject of the disclosure requirements acc. to §5-12 vphl
(Norwegian Securities Trading Act)
 
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Source: Seadrill Limited via Thomson Reuters ONE
 
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