Strong operational performance and safety
Operational uptime of 98% in the quarter; zero life-changing injuries or operational integrity events, reflecting high operational reliability and safety performance.
Robust profitability and margins
Adjusted EBITDA of $440 million with a margin exceeding 40%; contract drilling revenues of $1.08 billion for the quarter.
Highest average daily revenue in over a decade
Average daily revenue of $476,000 — the highest level in more than ten years; revenue efficiency >97% versus guidance of 90.5% (a +6.5 percentage-point outperformance, worth ~ $9 million).
Backlog growth and contract awards
Approximately $1.6 billion of incremental backlog announced since February, lifting backlog to over $7 billion. Notable awards include: Transocean Barron three-year contract at $450,000/day (options extend work into 2034), two 6G drillship three-year extensions with Petrobras adding ~ $845 million, a 7G one-year extension adding ~ $160 million, and a five-well Eastern Med program adding ~ $158 million.
Strong contract coverage for 2026–2027
Firm full-year contract coverage of ~86% for 2026 and ~73% for 2027, providing visibility into future cash flow and capital planning.
Balance sheet progress and debt reduction
Opportunistic early retirement of Deepwater Titan notes reduced debt by $358 million (in excess of scheduled maturities) and is expected to save nearly $40 million in interest expense; remaining debt principal approximately $5.1 billion with plans to retire at least $750 million in 2026, targeting ~ $4.9 billion year-end principal.
Cash generation and liquidity
Cash flow from operations of $164 million and free cash flow of $136 million after $28 million of capital expenditures. End-of-quarter unrestricted cash $330 million, which increased to about $495 million as of May 4 (≈ +50%). Total liquidity approximately $1.1 billion including restricted cash and undrawn credit capacity.
Cost-savings and synergy targets
On track to deliver ~$250 million of cost savings (vs 2024 baseline) through 2026 from operational efficiencies and overhead reductions; management expects > $200 million of incremental cost synergies from the proposed Valaris acquisition on top of the standalone savings.
Positive market backdrop and demand visibility
S&P Petrodata cited 80 rig years added across 61 floater fixtures so far in 2026; management sees deepwater utilization approaching nearly 100% by 2027 and expects continued multi-year tendering across Brazil, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Norway and the Mediterranean.