Since 1965, Dolphin Drilling has merged experience and expertise to excel in the industry
For nearly 60 years, Dolphin Drilling has been deeply committed to upholding the highest safety standards and delivering pioneering drilling services and operational excellence. With investments in the latest technology and an industry leading team of experts, the company offers cutting-edge drilling solutions to clients across the North Sea and beyond. As Michael Boyd, Vice President of Marketing and Contracts, begins: “Dolphin Drilling has been going since 1965; we’re one of the oldest drilling contractors in the world. The company has been through a lot in that time, we’ve gained experience, built up our team, diversified, and innovated at the very forefront of our industry. We started off in Norway, under the name Aker Dolphin. The company then grew over subsequent years, the ownership changed hands, and for a long time we were part of the Fred Olsen Energy. “In recent years, we gained strong momentum; at one point, we were operating 11 offshore mobile drilling units, which involved bringing in new assets and completely rebuilding our older units. In 2019, the company went through a restructuring and was taken over by a private equity firm, and SVP became our majority shareholder at the time.
“We carefully evaluate opportunities to expand our fleet, ensuring we meet market demands when it makes strategic sense. The current fleet consists of three rigs, listed on the Norwegian Stock Exchange, Blackford Dolphin, Borgland Dolphin and Paul B Loyd Jr. (PBLJ), an asset acquired from Transocean at the end of 2023.
Experience and expertise
“The Blackford Dolphin has just started its operations in India in partnership with Oil India Limited. We then have the Borgland Dolphin, which is being reactivated at the moment and is due to start operations in the UK during the first half of 2025. As part of the purchase of the PBLJ, we renegotiated and extended the rigs contract with Harbour Energy in the UK, and we expect to be working with them for the foreseeable future.”
Michael himself has played a major role in the company’s successes over the past decade. Having progressed through the organization from rig manager to Vice President of Marketing and Contracts, he’s seen everything Dolphin Drilling has to offer: “I came into the business as an Assistant Rig Manager, which took me back to an operations-based role. After being in that role for a short period of time, I was promoted to Rig Manager and spent the next seven years managing a variety of Dolphin assets. I managed the Byford, Blackford and Borgland rigs primarily, working with major Operators such as BP, Chevron, and Shell. I also got involved with complex class renewal projects during my time as a rig manager. We undertook recertifications and shipyard stays semi-regularly. These kinds of projects provided me with invaluable professional experience and expertise.
Collaborative culture
“After being in operations for many years, I moved into a supply chain role as Vice President. That was around the time that Covid hit, so it was certainly a challenging time to be working in a supply chain-based role. I worked with that team for about two and a half years, and from there moved into my current role as Vice President of Marketing and Contracts. This position brings together a lot of experience and learning from the past ten years – I’m responsible for all business development, contracting, and marketing activities that the company undertakes. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I really believe in the business, and wouldn’t be anywhere else. I also fulfill a secondary role as the Vice Chair of the North Sea Chapter of the International Association of Drilling Contractors,” Michael details.
Having worked in a variety of exciting and educational roles across the business, Michael is a prime example of how Dolphin Drilling’s dynamic and inclusive culture offers benefits to everyone within the business. As he affirms: “Dolphin Drilling has a long tradition of looking after its employees. We have an extremely low turnover rate, and that’s because we’ve built a culture where people feel genuinely connected and valued.
“Teamwork is so important in our industry. We’re good at working together and getting the job done. Our company culture is built on collaboration, and we achieve that by emphasizing all of our common goals. We also extend that feeling of inclusivity and teamwork to our suppliers, many of whom we’ve worked with for a long, long time.”
Strategic investment
Ensuring its longevity in more ways than one, Dolphin Drilling supports its dedicated team with investments into the very best resources. As Michael discusses: “At the moment, we’re actively looking to invest in new assets. We’re looking to promote organic growth across the business, and one way of achieving this is to secure the long-term backlog for all our existing assets. Then, alongside that, we research and investigate complementary assets. Ideally, we’re looking for assets that will smoothly integrate with, and support the capabilities of, our existing fleet. We have to be strategic about the investments that we make.
“From a technology perspective, we have recently invested in our communications system. We spent a lot of time and money adapting our processes to the very latest offshore communications technology. We have, for a long time, wanted to move away from traditional VSAT communications, and now we have much greater connectivity between our assets, which means a more cohesive and effective rig service. Faster, more reliable communications are essential for real-time drilling operations, so it was definitely the right move on our part.”
Armed with all the tools they need to thrive, the team behind Dolphin Drilling can look confidently into the future. “In the long term I’d like to see Dolphin expand its portfolio with more assets. I’m confident the company will continue to expand and remain a top competitor in the industry. Ultimately, people are our most important asset, and we’re keen to bring new talent into the business whenever possible. I’d like to see the Dolphin team grow, alongside our fleet and presence within the market,” Michael concludes.