Transocean rejects Anadarko claim of force majeure

* Anadarko declared force majeure on total of three rigs

* Transocean follows Noble in rejecting Anadarko claim

SAN FRANCISCO, June 15 (Reuters) - Transocean Ltd RIGN.S (RIG.N) has rejected a claim of force majeure by Anadarko Petroleum Corp (APC.N) on a deepwater rig in the Gulf of Mexico due to the U.S. deepwater drilling moratorium.

Anadarko, part owner of the blown-out well gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, said two weeks ago it had declared force majeure on three rigs in the region after the United States halted deepwater activity there. [ID:nN03221734]

"We have rejected the notice and are currently in discussions with Anadarko," Transocean said in a footnote about its Discoverer Spirit rig in its latest fleet update on Tuesday.

Force majeure relieves a company from liability when it cannot fulfill contractual obligations because of natural and unavoidable catastrophes.

On May 27, the U.S. government ordered a temporary halt to drilling at 33 deepwater exploration rigs and extended a ban on new drilling by six months as part of a broader response to the catastrophic BP Plc (BP.L) (BP.N) oil spill. [ID:nLDE64R00P]

Transocean rival Noble Corp (NE.N) also rejected Anadarko's force majeure claim on one of its Gulf of Mexico rigs.

Analysts say the third rig on which Anadarko sought to declare force majeure is owned by Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (DO.N), while Anadarko kept another rig working, owned by Ensco Plc (ESV.N).

BP owns 65 percent of the Gulf of Mexico oil well that ruptured on April 20, while Anadarko owns 25 percent. Transocean owned the rig that sank after the well blowout.

Anadarko was not the first to seek a contract break after the U.S. deepwater moratorium. On June 1, Cobalt International Energy Inc (CIE.N) declared force majeure on another Diamond-owned rig in the Gulf of Mexico. [ID:nSGE6500HH] (Reporting by Braden Reddall, editing by Matthew Lewis)