Seadrill adopts igus' modular energy chains for drillships

The implementation of igus' e-loop modular energy chains on Seadrill's West Polaris and West Capella drillships represents a targeted operational enhancement for the global offshore drilling contractor. This supply agreement, announced on 2026-03-09, directly addresses critical maintenance and reliability challenges inherent in deepwater drilling operations. By replacing traditional service loops with igus' specialized motion plastics, Houston-headquartered Seadrill aims to significantly improve the uptime of its top drives, a key component for its harsh environment drilling services. The commercial logic for Seadrill centers on reducing ongoing maintenance costs and mitigating operational risks across its fleet of 12 rigs. While the value of this specific supply agreement remains undisclosed, the long-term benefit for Seadrill lies in enhanced asset performance and potentially lower total cost of ownership for its operating drillships. For Seadrill, a global offshore drilling contractor specializing in harsh environment and deepwater drilling, this adoption of igus technology on the West Polaris and West Capella drillships reinforces its focus on operational excellence. The upgrade directly supports Seadrill's core business of providing reliable services to the oil and gas industry. Cologne-based igus GmbH, a global manufacturer of motion plastics with over 4,900 employees, secures a key reference for its e-loop technology within the demanding oil and gas sector. This supply agreement allows igus to further demonstrate the durability and cost-efficiency of its energy chains, which are already supplied to more than 18 industries, in a high-stress deepwater application. The transaction illustrates how specialized component suppliers like igus are finding new applications for their technology to meet the ongoing operational demands of the oil and gas industry.