Swiss driller Transocean’s customers are moving ahead with more offshore projects amid a rebound in crude oil prices and the continued improvement in offshore economics, company executives said Tuesday. Transocean President, CEO and Executive Director Jeremy Thigpen said during a first-quarter earnings conference call Tuesday that the floating active rig count was up 7% in the first quarter. First-quarter rig utilization bumped up to 56%, from 52% in the same period a year ago. As many as 90 final investment decisions for offshore projects could materialize in 2019, a significant increase from the 51 FIDs sanctioned in 2018, company executives said earlier this year. “Importantly, when including future rigs contracted, the floating count is nearing 160 assets, which would drive overall marketed utilization to a level approaching 80%,” Thigpen said Tuesday. “For the Norwegian […]