Houston-based drilling business Rowan Companies has entered into contracts with Singapore yard Keppel AmFELS for the construction of four Super 116E class jack-ups, plus two other rigs.

Rowan puts the value of the rig order at $700 million, with a third of the rig costs chalked up to design, kit components and drilling equipment from Rowan’s own fabricators.

Keppel’s Brownsville, Texas shipyard will produce a rig every four months starting in second-quarter 2010, it was understood Thursday.

In a statement, Rowan said it was also building two 240-C class jack-ups at its Vicksburg, Mississippi shipyard for delivery in third-quarter 2010 and 2011. The order pair is worth $400 million. The Company's first two 240-C rigs are under construction at Vicksburg, with delivery expected in the third quarters of 2008 and 2009.

All six rigs will be equipped to reach 35,000-foot drilling depths.