Transocean's ultra-deepwater drillship Discoverer Clear Leader has begun operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico under a five-year contract with Chevron.

The Discoverer Clear Leader is the first of Transocean's five newbuild enhanced Enterprise-class drillships placed into service and one of 10 newbuild rigs the company plans to begin operations this year and next.

Watch our ultra-deepwater drilling animation, and our station-keeping animation showing how satellite signals and acoustic beacons on the sea floor help keep the drillship on location.

Shown at dawn and dusk in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the Discoverer Clear Leader features 40 megawatts of power for everything from the bridge and dynamic positioning control room (above) to the company's patented dual-activity drilling technology.

Comparing the Latest-Generations of Drillships 

The Discoverer Clear Leader takes ultra-deepwater drilling to new depths beyond the frontiers already reached with the existing Enterprise-class drillships, including the Discoverer Deep Seas which holds the current world record drilling depth at 10,011 feet of water. In comparison, the Discoverer Clear Leader, the first enhanced Enterprise-class drillship, has a 12,000-foot water-depth design capability.

In addition, the Discoverer Clear Leader can drill wells 40,000 feet deep, compared with 35,000 feet with the Discoverer Deep Seas. The new drillship features two, 1,250-ton top drives, compared with 750-ton top drives on the Deep Seas, and it utilizes a new power-management system, high-pressure mud system and other unique features.

The 835-foot-long rig can accommodate 200 personnel and can move between locations at up to approximately 12 knots using its own power and six thrusters.

Did you know? 

The Discoverer Clear Leader's capacity to generate 40 megawatts of power is enough to light 40,000 homes. The rig's sister units are: Discoverer Americas, Discoverer Inspiration, Discoverer Luanda and Discoverer India.