UPDATE 1-Ensco says fire damage delays new rig deployment

* Ultra-deepwater Ensco 8502 contract at $470,000-plus/day

* Canada's Nexen has hired rig for Gulf of Mexico work

SAN FRANCISCO Feb 11 (Reuters) - Ensco International Plc (ESV.N) has delayed deployment of a new ultra-deepwater rig to the Gulf of Mexico for Canada's Nexen Inc (NXY.TO) due to damage from a recent fire in the engine room.

The London-based rig contractor said on Thursday that Ensco 8502, received from Singapore's Keppel FELS (KPLM.SI) shipyard only three weeks ago, would start work in the third quarter instead of the late second quarter, as planned.

Ensco said in a statement there were no injuries to personnel in the fire, and insurance claims relating to the damage and repairs would be filed.

Nexen has a two-year contract for the rig at a rate of more than $470,000 per day, plus cost adjustments, according to the latest rig status report from Ensco.

It is the third of seven ultra-deepwater rigs the company is building in a $3 billion program aimed at diversifying away from the more volatile, and currently depressed, market for shallow-water jackup rigs.

Ensco has been targeting $600 million in deepwater revenue this year, with another rig, the 8503, due to come into service later this year and bring its total deepwater fleet to five.

The company, which reports fourth-quarter results in two weeks, took a hit to third-quarter profit due to unexpected downtime for two of its deepwater rigs. [ID:nN04190704] (Reporting by Braden Reddall; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)