On 23 September 2008, COSL acquired Norway's Awilco Offshore ASA (AWO) for 17.1 billion yuan (2.51 billion U.S. dollars), which is to be merged into COSL Drilling Europe AS, a wholly owned subsidiary of COSL. The deal received backing from the relevant government departments of Norway and Statoil, the state oil company of Norway. The deal increased the number of COSL's operating rigs to 22 from 15 and created the world's eighth largest rig fleet.[2]