Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's biggest shipyard, today clinched a USD 530 million order to build a new deepwater drillships for Noble Drilling Holding, a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry.

The order is the second of two options Noble Drilling Holding exercised from the contract the company signed with Hyundai Heavy this January. The order was for two drillships with two options for two more of the same class.

The 10th drillship Hyundai Heavy won this year, measuring 229m in length and 36m in width with a maximum drilling depth of 12km from the surface of sea, is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2014.

“Drillships Hyundai Heavy builds presents a variety of technical advantages including optimized ship design and the world’s deepest drilling capacity,” said Mr. David Williams, Chairman of Noble Drilling Holding.

Hyundai Heavy has won orders for 10 drillships this year, the most of any shipbuilder.