Wärtsilä Power for Keppel FELS Rigs

The semi-submersible drilling platforms for Keppel FELS will be equipped with generating sets and steerable thrusters from Wärtsilä. Wärtsilä Corporation has been awarded contracts with a total value of above 50 million EUR, by Keppel FELS Ltd in Singapore for 32 diesel generating sets to power four jack-up rigs and two semi-submersible drilling platforms. The combined output of these orders is about 115 MW. Wärtsilä will also supply steerable thrusters for the semi-submersible platforms. The rigs and platforms are being built at Keppel FELS Ltd for the Danish company A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S. The first of the jack-up rigs is due for delivery in the fourth quarter 2007, and the semi-submersible platforms are due to be delivered in 2008 and 2009. The four jack-up rigs are of the CJ50 design from Marine Structure Consultants. They can operate in water depths of up to 106.7 m, and drill high-pressure wells down to 9144 m. The main power supply on each rig will be provided by four eight-cylinder Wärtsilä 26 generating sets with a combined electrical output of 9600 kWe. For these jack-up rigs, the Wärtsilä generating sets have the benefits of compact dimensions for their power output and an excellent load-response capability for the rapidly changing electrical load when drilling. The two semi-submersible drilling platforms are of the DSS 21 design developed by Keppel and Marine Structure Consultants. They are to be employed for development drilling in deep water up to 3000 m deep and are designed for year round operation in regions such as off West Africa, Brazil, Gulf of Mexico and South East Asia. Each semi-submersible will have a dynamic positioning system with eight electrically-driven Wärtsilä Lips steerable thrusters. The platforms will also be able to be attached to a pre-laid mooring system. The semi-submersible platforms will each be equipped with eight 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 26 generating sets having a combined electrical output of 38,720 kWe.