JEDDAH: Rowan Companies Plc said it was forming a joint venture with Saudi Aramco to operate offshore drilling rigs in the country.

Rowan said it would provide three jack-up rigs and Saudi Aramco two when the joint venture begins operations in the second quarter of 2017.

Both companies would contribute $25 million as working capital, Rowan said in a regulatory filing on Monday.

Rowan will supply two more rigs in late 2018 and Saudi Aramco will make a matching cash contribution.

Rowan said the rigs would receive contracts for an aggregate 15 years, renewed and re-priced every three years, provided that the rigs meet the technical and operational requirements of Saudi Aramco.

Nabors Industries Ltd. had said last month that it would form a joint venture with Saudi Aramco to operate onshore drilling rigs.

Saudi Aramco is targeting 2018 for what could be the world’s largest public listing, CEO Amin Nasser said in October.