Demand for offshore rigs will slump this year as a result of the pandemic and the low oil prices that are forcing offshore operators to delay drilling activities, but the offshore rig industry is set for a comeback in 2022, IHS Markit said in an analysis on Thursday. Due to the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 and the subsequent crash in oil demand, most operators that were expected to award contractor work offshore have pushed the timelines to next year at the earliest, Cinnamon Edralinis, Senior Offshore Rig Market Analyst at IHS Markit, said. The drillship market should expect pent-up demand in 2022, with demand rising from this year’s levels through 2021 and 2022. Global demand for drillships is forecast to average 73 units over 2022, up from 66 units for 2021 and 59 units through 2020, according to IHS Markit. Most of the drillship demand will be concentrated in […]