Industry sources said both sides have been locked in a final round of wrangling over the past four weeks to finish the deal.
It had been expected to close before the end of the second quarter.
One rig tracker credited Nabor's purported reputation as a "tough negotiator" for the delay in closing a deal.
The source also suggested that two separate agreements may come forth -- one for the jack-ups and the other for the South American land rigs.
If
