Ensign (formerly ODE) was incorporated in Australia in March 1954 and the public float
completed in the following month. The first office was established in Sydney in May 1954 and
orders placed for three drilling rigs from the US, along with ancillary equipment.
Ensign currently owns and operates drilling and well service rigs in Australia and New Zealand and has
worked for most of the major oil exploration and production companies in those countries at various times.
Among its past and present clients are Santos, Origin Energy, Stuart Petroleum, Innamincka Petroleum,
Beach Petroleum, Shell, Swift Energy, Westech and Esso to name a few.
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New Zealand
Ensign (formerly ODE) commenced operations in New Zealand in 1973 to cater for a two year
contract for the Shell/BP & Todd group. The contract also called for
the company to provide a new rig to
drill 14 wells on the new Maui "A" Platform.
In 1981, an Ideco E2100 owned by an investor and managed by the
company, commenced a drilling programme for
Petrocorp. In 1990/91 the company operated a Petrocorp owned rig in the Taranaki area.
The Taranaki Basin, has been the focus of exploration in NZ for many years. Of all the wells
drilled in NZ till 2003, 382 of the 617 have been in Taranaki.
Shell Todd Oil Services, Petrocorp, Fletcher Challenge, NZ Petroleum, NZ Oil & Gas, Westech Energy, Greymouth Petroleum,
Swift Energy, Discovery Geo, Mighty river Power & Geosphere are some of the past and present clients of
Ensign.
Australia