KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — Malaysian oil and gas services firm SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd has bagged more than US$450 million (RM1.5 billion) of drilling contracts and extensions in Southeast Asia and Africa, the company said today.

SapuraKencana’s wholly owned drilling subsidiary in Singapore secured a US$108 million deal from oil producer Total E&P Congo for the one-year provision of a semi-tender assist drilling rig, which will be used offshore Congo, the company said in a filing to the stock exchange.

The firm’s drilling units in Brunei and Hong Kong extended existing contracts valued at US$92 million, US$164 million and US$90 million for the use of its drilling rigs offshore Brunei, Angola and Thailand.

SapuraKencana said the contracts were expected to add to its earnings for the financial year ending January 31, 2015, onwards. — Reuters