OSLO (Bloomberg) ? SeaDrill Ltd., a Norwegian oil-rig company led by John Fredriksen, said it gained control of Eastern Drilling ASA as it seeks to take over the company.

Bermuda-based SeaDrill holds 20.3 million shares in Eastern Drilling, equal to 60.43 percent, it said on Friday in a statement to the Oslo exchange. SeaDrill said yesterday it plans to make a mandatory bid for the shares it doesn?t own in Eastern Drilling after raising its stake to 40.5 percent.

Eastern Drilling owns West E-drill, a semi-submersible drilling rig being built in South Korea and due for delivery in the fourth quarter of next year.

Separately, SeaDrill said it raised 1.8 billion kroner ($278 million) selling 20 million new shares at 90 kroner each. The proceeds from the sale will be used to fund the acquisition of Eastern Drilling, it said.

Hemen Holding Ltd., which is indirectly controlled by shipping billionaire John Fredriksen, was allocated 716,667 shares in the sale, giving Hemen 34.33 percent of SeaDrill.