An Irish based upstream oil and gas company, Providence Resources, has taken delivery of a semi-submersible drilling rig for the Barryroe oil discovery, expected to commence in the next couple of weeks.

The GSF Arctic III, made by Transocean, is being shipped to Irish waters to drill an appraisal well on the Barryroe license.

In 2011, Providence announced plans to invest with its partners at least $500 million in the drilling of a number of exploration and development wells in six different basins offshore Ireland.