Gulf Drilling International

What Gulf Drilling International does

Gulf Drilling International (GDI) is Qatar's first onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling company, founded in May 2004 as a joint venture between QatarEnergy (formerly Qatar Petroleum) and Japan Drilling Co. and now a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf International Services (GIS), which is listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange. Following the September 2024 acquisition of Seadrill's jack-up fleet and GulfDrill JV interest for $338 million, GDI operates 12 offshore jack-up drilling rigs, 7 land rigs, and 3 liftboats/accommodation units, providing over 60% of Qatar's drilling capacity and ranking as the largest jack-up operator in the country.

The company generates revenue primarily through multi-year contract-based drilling services, charging negotiated day rates under long-term agreements with national oil companies and international majors. Its customer base is concentrated among QatarEnergy and its subsidiaries (QatarEnergy LNG, North Oil Company), Qatar Shell, Dolphin Energy, and Occidental Petroleum of Qatar, with delivery anchored by the Dukhan Support Services Area (DSSA) and Ras Laffan operational hubs. The fleet includes high-specification units such as Al-Jassra, Les Hat, Dukhan, Halul, Al-Khor, Al-Zubarah, Al-Wajbah, and the recently integrated West Castor, West Telesto, and West Tucana rigs.

GDI's competitive position rests on its status as Qatar's national drilling champion, ISO-certified integrated management systems (9001/14001/45001 maintained since 2009), and a multi-year track record of independent #1 rankings in Operational Performance, Growth, and Corporate Governance among 13 international drilling contractors. The company's go-to-market is relationship-based enterprise sales supported by formal tenders and direct contract negotiations, with go-to-market channels limited to the domestic Qatari market.

Name

Gulf Drilling International

Legal name

Gulf Drilling International Limited

Website

https://gdi.com.qa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Gulf Drilling International is Qatar's national drilling contractor, operating 12 offshore jack-up rigs, 7 land rigs, and 3 liftboats to deliver onshore and offshore drilling services to QatarEnergy, QatarEnergy LNG, North Oil Company, Qatar Shell, and other major oil and gas clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oil and Gas Drilling Services

NAICS

Drilling Oil and Gas Wells (213111), Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations (213112)

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), Offshore Marine & Aviation Support (PSVs, AHTS, Crew Boats, Helicopters) (EUALABAJ)

Keywords

• Offshore drilling services
• Onshore drilling rigs
• Jack-up drilling rigs
• Oil and gas drilling
• Liftboat accommodation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Doha

HQ country

Qatar

HQ region

Middle East

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Offshore Drilling Contract Services: GDI provides offshore jack-up drilling rig services under long-term contracts to major oil & gas companies operating in Qatar, including QatarEnergy, Shell, North Oil Company, and Dolphin Energy. Revenue is generated through day rates charged for rig deployment, typically under multi-year contracts.
2. Onshore Drilling Services: GDI operates land rigs for onshore drilling operations across Qatar's oil and gas fields, providing drilling services to national and international clients under contractual arrangements.
3. Liftboat and Accommodation Services: GDI provides liftboat services and accommodation jack-up units for offshore operations, supporting drilling campaigns and providing crew accommodation facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gulf Drilling International provides onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling services in Qatar through a fleet of 12 offshore jack-up drilling rigs, 7 land rigs, and 3 liftboats/accommodation units. The company operates under long-term contracts with major national and international oil and gas companies, charging day rates for rig deployment and offering integrated support services including warehousing, workshop facilities, and accommodation.

Product overview

Gulf Drilling International (GDI) operates as a unified drilling services provider offering onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling through a versatile fleet. The portfolio consists of 12 offshore jack-up drilling rigs, 7 land rigs, and 3 liftboats/accommodation units. These core assets are supported by integrated services including central warehouse, workshop facilities, and accommodation services at Dukhan Support Services Area (DSSA). GDI provides over 60% of Qatar's drilling needs, delivering services to QatarEnergy, QatarEnergy LNG, North Oil Company, and Qatar Shell. The company also operates through its GulfDrill joint venture (now wholly owned subsidiary) for additional jack-up capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Offshore Jack-up Drilling Rigs High-specification offshore jack-up drilling rigs providing drilling services in Qatar's offshore waters. The fleet includes 12 offshore rigs (Al-Jassra, Dukhan, Halul, Al-Khor, Al-Zubarah, Al-Wajbah, Les Hat, Al-Bidda, Mesaieed, Laffan, West Castor, West Telesto, West Tucana) serving major clients including QatarEnergy, QatarEnergy LNG, North Oil Company, and Qatar Shell.
• Onshore Drilling Rigs Land-based drilling rigs for onshore oil and gas exploration and production across Qatar. GDI operates 7 land rigs, including designs from Lanzhou, National Oilwell, BOMCO China, and LANCO, serving national and international oil and gas clients.
• Liftboats and Accommodation Units Self-propelled liftboats and accommodation jack-up units providing offshore accommodation, workover, and support services. GDI operates 3 liftboats/accommodation units including Al Safliya, Rumailah, and Zikreet, supporting offshore drilling campaigns and crew accommodation.
• Drilling Support Services Comprehensive drilling support services including central warehouse for spares and consumables, advanced workshop for repair and maintenance, modern camp facilities for onshore crews, and 5 water well units, operated primarily from the Dukhan Support Services Area (DSSA) and Ras Laffan support area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero harm to personnel and zero damage to equipment or environment - GDI's GOAL ZERO ambition
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Seadrill LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 September 2024In September 2024, GDI completed the purchase of Seadrill's jack-up rig fleet and related JV interest. GDI acquired the remaining 50% stake in GulfDrill and three jack-up rigs (West Castor, West Telesto, West Tucana) for $338 million total consideration ($325M for rigs + $13M for JV interest). GulfDrill became a wholly owned subsidiary of GDI, making GDI the largest jack-up operator in Qatar.
• Seadrill LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2019In August 2019, GDI executed a joint venture agreement with Seadrill Limited to service the QatarEnergy North Field Expansion drilling program. The joint venture, named GulfDrill, operated under a 50:50 ownership structure. This partnership enhanced GDI's strategic and competitive edge in Qatar and internationally, building on the 2018 West Tucana, West Castor, and West Telesto contract.
• Seadrill LimitedmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2018In June 2018, GDI signed a cooperation agreement with Seadrill for the utilization of the offshore drilling rig 'West Tucana', a JU 2000E jack-up rig contracted for Qatar offshore operations for a firm period of 440 days with options for further extensions. The agreement also established the foundation for future synergies through a Strategic Cooperation Agreement.
• Bureau VeritasminorOthersBureau Veritas provides independent third-party certification of GDI's Integrated Management Systems including ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018. GDI has maintained certification since 2009.
• Gulf International Services (GIS)coreOthersGDI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf International Services (GIS), a public shareholding company listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange. GIS is Qatar's largest oil field service company with interests in insurance, drilling, helicopter transportation, and catering services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Valaris Limited: Global offshore drilling contractor operating both floating and jack-up rigs; comparable to GDI on jack-up drilling services, day-rate revenue model, and supermajor customer base.
• Helmerich & Payne: Global onshore drilling contractor operating one of the largest land rig fleets; comparable to GDI's land rig operations and contract-driven drilling services model.
• Precision Drilling Corporation: Largest land drilling contractor in North America with international operations; comparable to GDI's onshore land-rig fleet and contract-based drilling revenue model.
• Borr Drilling: Pure-play jack-up drilling contractor operating a large premium jack-up fleet globally; directly comparable to GDI on rig type, day-rate business model, and IOC/NOC customer mix.
• Shelf Drilling: Jack-up focused shallow-water drilling contractor with a Middle East / Asia heavy fleet; directly comparable to GDI's premium-jack-up and regional IOC/NOC contract profile.
• Noble Corporation: Offshore drilling contractor providing services to the international oil and gas industry with a fleet that includes jack-ups; comparable to GDI on offshore drilling rig operations and NOC/IOC contract structure.
• Seadrill: Global offshore drilling contractor specializing in jack-up and semi-submersible rigs; direct peer to GDI's core jack-up drilling business and the seller of the recently acquired GulfDrill JV interest and three rigs.

Broad incumbents

• Transocean: Largest offshore drilling contractor globally, primarily focused on deepwater floaters but with shallow-water capability; comparable as a broad incumbent in offshore drilling services.

Regional players

• Arabian Drilling Company: Saudi Arabia-based onshore and offshore drilling services provider serving Saudi Aramco; comparable to GDI on regional NOC-anchored drilling services business model and Gulf operating environment.
• ADES Holding Company: Middle East and North Africa-focused drilling and offshore services contractor operating jack-up rigs and liftboats; comparable to GDI on regional MENA exposure and similar rig types.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulf-drilling-international

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Gulf Drilling International