Name

Shelf Drilling

Legal name

Shelf Drilling, Ltd.

Website

https://shelfdrilling.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Offshore Drilling Services

NAICS

Drilling Oil and Gas Wells (213111), Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing (33313), Oil and Gas Extraction (2111)

SIC

Drilling Oil & Gas Wells (1381), Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389)

akta.pro primary industry

Drilling & Workover Rigs (Land & Offshore) (EUALABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

OFS Engineering, Construction & O&M (Field Development, Brownfield, Maintenance) (EUALABAM), Well Construction & Completion Services (Cementing, Casing, Tubular Running) (EUALABAC)

Keywords

• Offshore drilling services
• Jack-up rig operations
• Shallow water drilling
• Oil and gas services
• Contract drilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Jack-up Drilling Contracts: Day-rate based contracts for offshore jack-up drilling services to oil and gas companies. Contracts typically span multiple years with major operators. Revenue is based on daily operating rates for jack-up rigs deployed on exploration, development, and production drilling programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shelf Drilling provides contract-based jack-up drilling services for shallow water oil and gas exploration, development, appraisal, and production operations. The company also delivers specialized plug and abandonment (P&A) services and supports operations with HSE management, environmental, and quality management systems. Following the November 2025 merger with ADES Holding, it operates as one of the world's largest jack-up rig contractors.

Product overview

Shelf Drilling is a specialized jack-up drilling contractor providing offshore drilling services exclusively for shallow water oil and gas operations. The company's core offering is its fleet of jack-up drilling rigs, supported by HSE management services, environmental management, quality management systems, and specialized plug and abandonment operations. Following its acquisition by ADES Holding Company in late 2025, Shelf Drilling operates as part of a combined entity of approximately 123 rigs across 20 countries, making it one of the world's largest jack-up rig operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jack-up Drilling Services Shelf Drilling's sole focus is jack-up drilling operations, providing offshore drilling services for shallow water oil and gas exploration, development, appraisal, and production. The company operates a fleet of jack-up rigs across multiple international markets including the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
• Plug and Abandonment Operations Specialized rig services for offshore plug and abandonment (P&A) operations, identified as a critical component of the oil and gas industry's circular economy and part of strategic service expansion.
• Rig Fleet Management Management and operation of the jack-up drilling fleet including equipment maintenance, operational planning, and lifecycle management with focus on rig recycling and equipment reuse at end of useful life.
• Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Management Services Comprehensive HSE management services including safety performance tracking, incident prevention, and environmental protection protocols aligned with industry best practices. The company reports monthly HSE performance metrics.
• Environmental Management Services Environmental management services including emissions tracking, fuel additive pilots, climate risk assessments following TCFD guidelines, and sustainability reporting aligned with CSRD and EU Taxonomy requirements.
• Quality Management Services Quality management services supporting continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, including supplier engagement, process monitoring, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lost Time Injury Rate (LTIR) of 0.02 as of December 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Valeura Energy Inc.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 April 2026Valeura Energy chartered the Shelf Drilling Enterprise jack-up rig for three years ending December 2029. Drilling operations planned to commence Q4 2026 in Gulf of Thailand for production acceleration. The charter reflects favorable rig market pricing and supports further development, appraisal, and exploration drilling across Valeura's portfolio.
• West African Exploration & Production (WAEP)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 April 2026ADES International (parent of Shelf Drilling) secured multi-rig contract with WAEP, part of Dangote Group, for three premium jack-up drilling units to support field development offshore Nigeria. Estimated value of $729 million over three-year firm period starting H2 2026. Operations supported by in-country partner Valiant Offshore.
• Valiant OffshoreminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 16 April 2026In-country partner supporting Shelf Drilling/ADES operations in West Africa, specifically Nigeria offshore drilling operations.
• Brunei Shell PetroleummajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 November 2025Shelf Drilling subsidiary secured approximately $63 million contract for jack-up rig with Brunei Shell Petroleum to perform offshore plug and abandonment operations in Brunei. Two-year contract starting Q4 2026.
• ADES Holding CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025ADES Holding Company completed acquisition of Shelf Drilling in November 2025 for approximately $400 million cash merger. The combined entity operates 123 offshore jack-up drilling rigs across 20 countries. Shelf Drilling operates as subsidiary of ADES, with CEO Mohamed Farouk leading the combined group. Expected annual operational cost synergies of $40-50 million over the medium term.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ADES Holding Company: Saudi Arabian offshore drilling contractor and parent company of Shelf Drilling following the November 2025 cash merger. Operates the combined jack-up fleet of 83-123 rigs across 19-20 countries, offering directly comparable shallow-water drilling services.
• Seadrill Limited: Offshore drilling contractor with both jack-up and deepwater rig capabilities post-emergence from Chapter 11. Competes with Shelf Drilling for shallow water tenders and serves many of the same NOC and IOC clients.
• Awilco Offshore: Norwegian-based offshore drilling contractor focused on harsh-environment jack-up rigs in the North Sea. Directly comparable through jack-up focus, though smaller in fleet size than Shelf Drilling.
• Valaris Limited: One of the largest offshore drilling contractors globally with a fleet spanning jack-ups and floaters, serving major IOCs and NOCs. Comparable through overlapping jack-up operations despite a broader product portfolio.
• Borr Drilling: Public pure-play jack-up drilling contractor headquartered in Bermuda, operating a premium jack-up fleet focused on shallow water drilling for international and national oil companies. Most directly comparable peer given the exclusive jack-up focus and similar customer base.
• Noble Corporation: Offshore drilling contractor from which Shelf Drilling acquired five premium jack-up rigs in 2022. Operates a diversified offshore fleet including jack-ups and competes directly for shallow water tenders with major operators.
• Diamond Offshore Drilling: Offshore drilling contractor with a mix of ultra-deepwater and harsh-environment jack-up rigs. Competes for shallow-water contracts in regions like the North Sea and serves a similar customer base of international operators.

Broad incumbents

• Transocean Ltd. Largest offshore drilling contractor globally, predominantly focused on ultra-deepwater floaters but maintains a smaller jack-up presence. Comparable as a broad incumbent in offshore drilling services though the deepwater focus differentiates it from Shelf Drilling's pure jack-up model.
• Saipem S.p.A. Italian engineering and drilling services company providing offshore drilling services as part of a broader EPCI portfolio. Comparable as a broad incumbent in offshore drilling and field development services.
• COSL (China Oilfield Services Limited): China's largest integrated offshore oilfield services company offering drilling rigs (including jack-ups), well services, and marine support. Comparable through jack-up operations though predominantly serves Chinese and Asian markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shelf-drilling

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shelf Drilling