Valaris LtdVAL
Valaris Ltd Commitments Disclosure
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
ARO Newbuild Funding Obligations
In connection with our 50/50 unconsolidated joint venture, we have a potential obligation to fund ARO for newbuild jackup rigs. The Shareholder Agreement specifies that ARO shall purchase 20 newbuild jackup rigs. The joint venture partners intend for the newbuild jackup rigs to be financed from available cash on hand and from ARO's operations and/or funds available from third-party financing. The first two newbuild jackups, Kingdom 1 and Kingdom 2, were delivered and commenced operations in 2023 and 2024, respectively. In October 2023, ARO entered into a $359.0 million term loan to finance the remaining payments due upon delivery of the two rigs and for general corporate purposes. The term loan matures in eight years following the related drawdown under the term loan and requires equal quarterly amortization payments during the term, with a 50% balloon payment due at maturity. The term loan bears interest based on the three-month SOFR plus a margin ranging from 1.25% to 1.4%. In 2024, ARO entered into a revolving credit facility which provides for borrowings of up to $100.0 million, which was amended in the fourth quarter of 2025 to increase the maximum borrowings to $150.0 million. As of December 31, 2025, there were no amounts outstanding under this facility. Our Notes Receivable from ARO are subordinated and junior in right of payment to both ARO’s term loan and credit facility.
In October 2024 and November 2025, ARO ordered the third and fourth newbuild jackups, Kingdom 3 and Kingdom 4, respectively, for a purchase price of approximately $300.0 million each. ARO paid a 25% down payment upon ordering Kingdom 3 from cash on hand in 2024. ARO made payments of $43.8 million related to the 25% down payment for Kingdom 4 from cash on hand as of December 31, 2025, with the remaining down payment balance payable in monthly installments through May 2026. The final payment for each rig will be due upon delivery.
In the event ARO has insufficient cash or is unable to obtain third-party financing, each partner may periodically be required to make additional capital contributions to ARO, up to a maximum aggregate contribution of $1.25 billion from each partner to fund the newbuild program. Beginning with the delivery of the second newbuild, each partner's commitment is reduced by the lesser of the actual cost of each newbuild rig or $250.0 million, on a proportionate basis. Following the delivery of Kingdom 2, our commitment to fund the newbuild program has been reduced to $1.1 billion.
Letters of Credit
In the ordinary course of business with customers and others, we have entered into letters of credit to guarantee our performance as it relates to our drilling contracts, contract bidding, customs duties, tax appeals and other obligations in various jurisdictions. Letters of credit outstanding as of December 31, 2025 totaled $35.4 million and are issued under facilities provided by various banks and other financial institutions, but none were issued under the 2028 Credit Agreement. Obligations under these letters of credit are not normally called, as we typically comply with the underlying performance requirements. As of December 31, 2025, we had collateral deposits in the amount of $16.3 million with respect to these agreements.
Patent Litigation
In December 2022, a subsidiary of Transocean Ltd. commenced an arbitration proceeding against us alleging breach of a license agreement related to certain dual-activity drilling patents. In July 2025, the arbitration tribunal rendered a final decision awarding Transocean Ltd. $7.9 million in damages, including interest, and awarded Valaris $7.4 million as reimbursement for legal fees incurred in connection with this matter. As a result of this decision, in the second quarter of 2025, we reversed $17.1 million of the $25.0 million liability previously accrued in 2024, and we recognized a $7.4 million receivable for the recovery of legal fees. In the third quarter of 2025, the awarded amounts due to and from Transocean Ltd. were paid and therefore, we have no outstanding balances pertaining to this matter as of December 31, 2025.
Brazil Administrative Matter
In July 2023, we received notice of an administrative proceeding initiated against us in Brazil. Specifically, the Federal Court of Accounts ("TCU") sought from us, Samsung Heavy Industries (“SHI”) and others, on a joint and several basis, a total of approximately BRL 601.0 million in damages that TCU asserted arose from the overbilling to Petrobras in 2015 in relation to the drilling services agreement with Petrobras for VALARIS DS-5 (the “DSA”). As fully disclosed in our prior periodic reports, the DSA was previously the subject of (1) investigations by the SEC and the U.S Department of Justice, each of which closed their investigation of us in 2018 without any enforcement action, (2) an arbitration proceeding against SHI in which we prevailed, resulting in SHI making a $200.0 million cash payment to us in December 2019, and (3) a settlement with Petrobras normalizing our business relations in August 2018.
In May 2024, the Brazilian prosecutor issued an opinion recommending that the TCU close this matter against us. In July 2025, a trial was held and all claims against us were dismissed.
Other Matters
In addition to the foregoing, we are named defendants or parties in certain other lawsuits, claims or proceedings incidental to our business and are involved from time to time as parties to governmental investigations or proceedings, including matters related to taxation, arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the outcome of such lawsuits or other proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty and the amount of any liability that could arise with respect to such lawsuits or other proceedings cannot be predicted accurately, we do not expect these matters to have a material adverse effect on our financial position, operating results and cash flows.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 20, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 20, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 22, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 21, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 22, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 2, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 21, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 28, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 27, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 28, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 25, 2016 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.