Seadrill Postpones Restructuring Plan Hearing until Feb. 7
Drilling rig company Seadrill has again postponed an initial hearing on its restructuring plan, this time by six days to Feb. 7, the company said yesterday in a U.S. court filing, Reuters reported. Once the largest drilling rig operator by market value, Seadrill filed for bankruptcy protection in Texas on Sept. 12 after being hit hard by cutbacks in oil company investment following a steep drop in crude prices. Seadrill’s main owner, Norwegian-born billionaire John Fredriksen, backed by Centerbridge Partners, and a group of unsecured bondholders have submitted alternative restructuring plans, and started talks earlier in January. While both sides offered to invest around a billion dollars in Seadrill to continue its business of renting drilling rigs to oil companies, unsecured bondholders are aiming to increase their stake in the post-restructured company from around 15 percent offered in the original plan.
