My comment was not limited to “deep water” Gulf rigs; it was industry wide.
That said, the shallow water Gulf rigs near LA and TX ARE seasonally affected, and much more active in the spring/summer months.
Sorry, but wrong again. Not to start a flame war but I hate it when people post their “opinion” rather than facts... Please do a bit of research when you don’t know what you’re talking about or just admit that you are incorrect... Please see http://rigzone.com/data/utilization_rigtype.asp which utilization of drill barges. For your information, drill barges are used in shallow water.
Additional info: http://www.ods-petrodata.com/odsp/day_rate_index.php
At this link, you might notice that in 2007 and 2008, the rig utilization actually drops in the fall and winter and the peak is in the summer...
Price is the King, not the season...
Sorry - this is my industry and I KNOW what I’m talking about (as it appears does TWfromTexas)...