Transocean Gets $1 Billion Equinor Green Light, Adds $62 Million Shell Contract

Transocean Ltd (NYSE:RIG) announced Friday that it has secured approximately $1.1 billion in firm contract backlog, including the fully approved Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) agreement. Transocean stock is trading higher by around 1% on Friday. Nasdaq futures are up 0.40% while S&P 500 futures have gained 0.50%. Contract Backlog Expands The backlog includes a new offshore drilling contract with Shell PLC (NYSE:SHEL), adding approximately $62 million to the contract backlog. Transocean Norge drilling rig secured a two-well contract with A/S Norske Shell, with work expected to last around 120 days and to begin after the rig completes its previously awarded programs in Norway. Separately, Transocean secured the formal approval of a previously announced agreement with Equinor in June, resulting in conversion of the $1.0 billion contract value to firm backlog. The agreement covers three harsh-environment semisubmersible rigs: the Transocean Enabler, Transocean Encourage and Transocean Endurance. The company’s total contract backlog stands at over $7.7 billion. Transocean Recent Highlights Transocean reported strong second-quarter results in August 2026. The company’s reported Contract drilling revenue was $966 million, beating the analysts’ estimate of $959.9 million. Reported adjusted earnings per share of 3 cents, topping the 2 cents consensus estimate. The company forecasts near 100% utilization for deepwater rigs by 2027, supported by strong demand in regions such as the U.S. Gulf, Brazil, and West Africa. Management emphasized the focus on operational efficiency and the strategic relocation of rigs to maximize long-term contract opportunities, alongside addressing cost-saving measures and integration planning with Volaris. The company raised its fiscal 2026 sales outlook to $3.900 billion to $3.975 billion, above the $3.840 billion consensus estimate. Technical Analysis The stock is up 66.37% over the past 12 months. RIG is trading about 2.1% above its 20-day SMA ($5.46); however, it’s still slightly below its 50-day SMA ($5.59) and 100-day SMA ($5.63). The longer-term picture is also still working through damage from the death cross that printed in August (50-day SMA below the 200-day SMA). Momentum is best framed through RSI, which sits at 52.69—neutral and consistent with a stock that’s trying to build a base rather than break out cleanly. Key Resistance: $6.50 — a nearby round-number area where rebounds can stall if buyers can’t sustain momentum Key Support: $5.50 — a tight, nearby floor that’s close to current pricing and can act as an early "line in the sand" Earnings and Analyst Outlook Transocean’s next major scheduled catalyst is its estimated Oct. 28 earnings report. Wall Street expects EPS of 3 cents, down from 6 cents a year earlier, on revenue of $937.6 million versus $1.03 billion in the prior-year period. The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price forecast of $6.75. Recent analyst actions include Barclays maintaining Overweight while lowering the price target to $7 on Aug. 12 and Susquehanna maintaining a Positive rating and lowering the target to $7 on July 8. Benzinga Edge Rankings Transocean has a strong Momentum score of 85.53 on the Benzinga Edge scorecard. The Verdict: Transocean’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a momentum-driven story, with the scorecard heavily centered on relative performance rather than fundamentals. RIG Price Action: Transocean shares were down 0.36% at $5.52 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Also: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile Stocks Slide as SpaceX Expands Wireless Ambitions Image via Shutterstock