Great Ships '22: Deepwater Atlas, “World’s First Eighth-Gen Ultra-Deepwater Drillship”
Marijana Sosic, Manager, Technical Marketing at Transocean, discusses some of the outstanding features of the Deepwater Atlas – Built in Singapore at Sembcorp Marine's Jurong Shipyard and flying the Marshall Islands flag – and sister-ship Deepwater Titan , which together represent an investment of more than $2 billion.The Deepwater Atlas was launched this year in Singapore. What, specifically, is so special about it?The Deepwater Atlas is the first of its kind eighth-generation drillship that will offer 20,000 psi well control capabilities and a 3.4 million pound hoisting capacity.
Riding the Tides: Interview with Jason Hayman, CEO, Sustainable Marine Energy
Harnessing the power of the tides is not for the squeamish, with the roster of trials and failures long and distinguished. Jason Hayman and his Sustainable Marine Energy crew are putting their tech to the test in one of the harshest spots on the planet, the Bay of Fundy, as his discussed with Marine Technology TV.Jason, to start, how did you come to a career in the offshore renewable energy field?I suppose my interest got piqued back in about 2003. I went to a lecture at the University of Newcastle and they had a wave energy crowd there and a tidal energy developer.
Steel Cut for Awilco Rig at Nantong
Offshore drilling contractor Awilco Drilling has said that the first steel has been cut for its second rig under construction at a Keppel yard."We are pleased to confirm that first steel cutting took place for the lower hull of our new CS60 ECO drilling semi-submersible at KeppelFels shipyard in Nantong, China," said the drilling contractors based in the North Sea oil & gas sector."We expect to also strike steel on the upper hull at KeppelFels in Singapore within December," it said.The new rig is scheduled for delivery in March 2021, the UK offshore company said.Meanwhile, Awilco Drilling reported contract revenue of USD 10.3 million (USD 10.4 million in Q2)…
Four Steps to Successful Rig Intake
After a period of dormancy, drilling activity and rig utilization is up. Yet despite an increase in demand for rigs, there is still an oversupply. Few long-term fixtures, gaps in schedules and rigs moving between different regulatory regimes create new rig intake challenges.What does this mean for your rig intake strategy? Your preference may be to contract a hot rig, as the operational risks are significantly less when compared to contracting a rig which has been nonoperational. But are the hot rigs actually “hot”?
Kongsberg to help outfit Awilco Rig
Kongsberg Maritime has been selected by global offshore and marine group Keppel Offshore & Marine to provide an extensive and integrated technology delivery for a new semi-submersible drilling rig ordered by UK-based drilling contractor Awilco Drilling PLC. The contract is valued at around $18 million. Based on the Moss Maritime CS60 ECO MW design, Awilco Drilling’s new rig is designed for harsh environment use, and will be equipped and certified for drilling on the Norwegian Continental Shelf…
New Rig Designed for Heavy Dockside Lifts
Below-the-hook equipment manufacturer Modulift and Siemens Heat Transfer Technology B.V. combined forces to design a special rig for lifting modules that weighed nearly 200t apiece. Modulift sent two rigs for on- and off-load in Korea and Thailand respectively—a total of 16 no. 34t capacity MOD 34 beams in addition to slings, shackles, tie-plates and other rigging gear.The two vertical Benson-type Heat Recovery Steam Generators (or HRSGs) first needed to be lifted aboard a vessel for transportation to the 1…
Odfjell Drilling to Expand Fleet
Offshore rig firm Odfjell Drilling plans to expand its floating rig fleet to between six and 10 from four now, it said on Friday, the latest sign of recovery in the energy industry.After cuts in exploration spending following an oil price plunge that began in 2014, energy firms are now hiring rigs as crude prices have recovered some ground.Odfjell raised $175 million via a new share issue on Thursday to help buy semi-submersible Stena Midmax Rig from Samsung Heavy Industries for $505 million.
Statoil Reports Spud of First Well at Oseberg Vestflanken 2
In the early hours of Sunday 25 February drilling started at Oseberg Vestflanken 2. On the Capital Markets Day on 7 February the project could boast break-even reduction from USD 34 to USD 16 per barrel. The investment budget for Oseberg Vestflanken 2 has been reduced from NOK 8 billion to NOK 6.5 billion. Recoverable reserves have increased, and several digitalisation measures have been initiated. Drilling is performed by the brand new Cat J rig Askepott, purchased by the licence. This is the first job performed by this rig. “This state-of-the-art rig will increase the safety and efficiency of our drilling operations. However, with a new rig…
Offshore Rig Firms See End to Historic Downturn
Demand for offshore rig rental globally is starting to recover from its worst ever downturn, led by oil firms' growing demand for harsh-environment exploration and triggering multi-billion dollar tie-ups among drillers hoping to profit, executives said. While the 2014-2016 oil price crash caused firms to cut exploration budgets, ending a boom in rig demand and bankrupting many owners, energy companies are now seeking to replenish their hydrocarbon reserves. The nascent demand for harsh-environment rigs…
The New Offshore Reality
Swedbank’s chief economist, Harald Andreassen, isn’t “too hopeful” about the long-term prospects for the oil price, but then again, “I’m less certain of this than I’ve ever been as an economist,” he told a floating production conference in Oslo. After two-and-half years of oil-price collapse followed by layoffs in the thousands; stacked oil rigs and order freezes for offshore shipping, price insecurity itself is a partial expression of confidence. Beneath some palpable yet halting movements toward recovery in 2017…
Cosco Compensates Sevan
COSCO Corp (Singapore) will refund $26.3 million, or 5 percent of the contract price, plus associated interest to Sevan Drilling by December 1, 2015. Sevan Drilling and Cosco have agreed to exercise the first six-month option to extend the deferral agreement to April 15, 2016. The final delivery instalment has been amended to $447.1 million, representing 85 percent of the $526 million contract price and can be amended further upon the expiration of the option period. The company first announced winning of the contract back in May 2011. In between, the industry went into a down turn that is persisting until now. In October 2014, Sevan and Cosco reached an agreement to extend the delivery date for 12 months…
ENSCO 110, ENSCO 104 Contracted for UAE & M.E.
Ensco plc has entered into a three-year contract with NDC for a new premium jackup, ENSCO 110. This newbuild rig is scheduled to commence operations later this month offshore United Arab Emirates at a rate of approximately $114,000 per day. NDC has also contracted ENSCO 104 for a three-year term at a day rate of $114,000. The rig is mobilizing to the Middle East from the Asia Pacific region and is scheduled to commence its new contract in late-June 2015. Chief Executive Officer Carl Trowell commented, “We are pleased to extend our relationship with NDC. The Middle East is the largest market for premium jackups, and we continue to invest in new rig technology for the benefit of customers.
ASRY Rig Division’s Deliveries All on Time in 2014
In 2014, ASRY Offshore Services completed every one of its repair scopes within schedule, on-budget, and with leading safety standards. ASRY, a ship and rig repair yard in the Arabian Gulf, has confirmed that its Offshore division, which specializes in rig repairs, achieved 100% on-time delivery of all the rig projects completed in 2014. Global clients including Saudi Aramco, Saipem, Nabors Drilling, Egyptian Drilling Company and more chose ASRY for their rig repair projects last year, which totaled 17 rigs, and all took delivery of its vessels on schedule, and within budget. “With competition rising in the region, rig customers are more focused on ensuring that the maintenance of their assets is completed as efficiently as possible,” said ASRY Chief Executive, Nils Kristian Berge.
Semco Maritime Expands in Houston
Rig upgrade and repair specialist Semco Maritime opens new Houston office on January 23, offering services for rig customers in Canada, Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. Project management and offshore engineering company Semco Maritime is now opening a new, larger office in Houston, where the Danish company has been present for several years with a sales office. According to the company’s vice president Tom Dalton, “Oil prices may fluctuate, but rig customers’ need of service and upgrades for their drilling fleet remains.
Maersk Drilling Wins 2-Year Angolan Extension
The head of Maersk Drilling said on Wednesday the A.P. Moller-Maersk unit has won a two-year extension for its Maersk Deliverer deepwater rig worth $387 million. Maersk Venturer, a new rig set to be delivered this year, had also won a letter of award for a short-term contract in South East Asia, Maersk Drilling Chief Executive Claus Hemmingsen told Reuters during a capital markets day. Such an award means the parties have agreed to a deal but are yet to hammer out details such as day rates. Reporting by Sabina Zawadzki
Kongsberg Delivers Unique Rig Training Model
Kongsberg Maritime recently delivered a new rig simulator model at Simsea, based on the Floatel Superior accommodation unit, which is currently in operation in the North Sea. Developed as a part of the Kongsberg K-Sim Offshore simulators already installed at Simsea, the new customized model will be used to train semi-submersible rig personnel in advanced operation of Dynamic Positioning (DP), position mooring system (POSMOOR), stability/ballasting and rig move/anchoring. Floatel…
Maersk Drilling Orders 20K™ Blow Out Preventer & Risers
Maersk Drilling has ordered four Blow Out Preventers (BOPs) and two risers from GE Oil and Gas to be used in the Project 20K™ agreement with BP. The BOPs and risers are intended to be delivered and deployed on two Maersk Drilling 20K™ Rigs by year-end 2018. The order includes options for provision of further BOPs. The order is subject to BP and Maersk Drilling taking the final investment decision on a 20K™ Rig contract. BP and Maersk Drilling announced in February 2013 a joint study agreement to develop conceptual engineering designs for a new breed of advanced technology drilling rigs that will be critical to unlocking the next frontier of deepwater oil and gas resources.
Sembcorp Wins US$236-Million Jack-up Rig Contract
Singapore's Sembcorp Marine says that its subsidiary Jurong Shipyard has secured a US$236 million (about S$296 million) contract to build a high specification, tailor-made jack-up rig for new customer Hercules North Sea Ltd. Scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2016, the jack-up rig will be built based on the Friede & Goldman JU 2000E design which has enhanced features suitable for UK operations. The new rig is designed to operate in waters of 400 feet and drill to depths of 30,000 feet. Itwill be equipped with 2,000,000 lbs drilling capacity, 6,000 barrels mud capacity, 28,000 kips preload capacity for the legs and 150-man accommodation capacity. Upon delivery, it will be chartered out to Maersk Oil and Gas for deployment in the UK sector of the North Sea. Mr. John T.
China's Dalian Shipyard to Build Deepwater Jack-Up
COSCO Corporation inform that its subsidiary Dalian Shipyard has been contracted to build a jack-up rig based on the LeTourneau Super 116E Class design. The US$184-million order has been placed by Derwent Ocean Limited S.A, part of Foresight Group. COSCO inform that the new rig will be built to ABS classification, with notation A1, and will be a self elevating drilling unit capable of drilling HPHT wells. It will be capable of operating in 350 feet water, with accommodation for up to 120 persons onboard. Delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2016. Founded in June 2001, COSCO Shipyard Group Co., Ltd, is a subsidiary of China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO). It specializes in large vessel construction, marine engineering, conversion, and providing ship repair services.
U.S. Investigates Chinese Rig Move, Vietnam Complaints
The United States said on Tuesday it was investigating the movement of a huge Chinese oil rig that Vietnam says has entered its waters, the latest show of Beijing's growing assertiveness to raise alarm among smaller countries in the region. The Vietnamese accusation came days after U.S. President Barack Obama visited Asia to underline his commitment to allies there, including Japan and the Philippines who are themselves locked in territorial disputes with China. Obama, promoting a strategic "pivot" toward the Asia-Pacific region, also visited South Korea and Malaysia, but not China. Vietnam has condemned the operation of the deepwater drilling rig in what it says are its waters in the South China Sea and told China's state-run oil company to remove it.
Salvage of Capsized Rig to Finish by March 2015
Salvage work to remove a capsized rig lying in shallow waters offshore from Angola's new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant should be completed by March 2015, the company in charge of the operation said. The three-legged Perro Negro 6 drilling rig overturned last summer as it was being positioned to bore a tunnel for a gas pipeline key to feeding the $10 billion plant. Italian oil services firm Saipem chose South African company Smit Salvage, a unit of Netherlands-based dredging specialist Boskalis, to remove its rig.
GulfMark Offshore Records its Highest Ever Q1 Revenue
He continued, "We came in just under the midpoint of our first-quarter revenue guidance, which resulted from slightly lower utilization than we originally anticipated, but overall, the average day rate increased during the quarter and we feel comfortable reaffirming our full-year revenue guidance of between $525 and $555 million. Consolidated revenue for the quarter increased 23% year-over-year, and we expect revenue will increase more than 10% in the second quarter, to be in the range of $131 to $136 million.
Long Legs Jack-Up 'Maersk Intrepid' Delivered
Maersk Drilling informs it has taken delivery of its first ultra harsh environment jack-up, 'Maersk Intrepid', from the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore, and on time. The new offshore jack-up rig will start its mobilisation to the Norwegian North Sea in approximately two weeks, where it will commence a four year contract with Total E&P Norge AS. The Maersk Intrepid will be drilling the demanding and complex wells on the Martin Linge field development in the Norwegian North Sea. The contract includes four one-year options. The estimated contract value for the firm contract is US$ 550-million.