Ensco has taken delivery of ENSCO 8504, the fifth of the seven ENSCO 8500 Series(R) rigs constructed by Keppel FELS Limited in Singapore. After mobilizing to Brunei to complete deepwater sea trials and final outfitting, ENSCO 8504 will commence a previously announced drilling contract with Total E&P Deep Offshore Borneo B.V.
The proprietary design of the ENSCO 8500 Series(R) was developed with input from customers to address the drilling requirements for virtually every deepwater field around the world. The design includes a 35,000' nominal rated drilling depth, two million pounds of hoisting capacity, 8,000 tons of variable deck load, and an open layout well suited for subsea completion activities. Improved visibility from the open deck configuration also enhances safety.
The uniform design of the ENSCO 8500 Series(R) streamlines operational functionality, repairs, training, spare part requirements and maintenance, while also providing flexibility for customer-specific enhancements. In particular, the 8500 Series may be modified to drill and complete wells in water depths up to 10,000'.
Two additional ENSCO 8500 Series(R) rigs are under construction with deliveries scheduled for the first and second halves of next year, respectively.