Lawrence Dickerson News

Keppel FELS Limited (KFELS), the offshore arm of the Keppel Group has secured contracts worth a total of $77 million from Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc for the upgrades of a semi-submersible, Ocean Rover and a jack-up rig, Ocean Tower. This comes after a $34 million contract from Diamond Offshore for the upgrading of four jack-up rigs in July this year. These contracts were secured as a result of KFELS’ services and the outstanding work it is performing on Ocean Baroness, presently in the final stages of an extremely challenging deepwater upgrade in KFELS’ Pioneer Yard in Singapore. Tong Chong Heong, managing director of KFELS said, “We are very pleased that Diamond Offshore has chosen us to be a partner in the enhancement of their fleet of vessels.

Keppel FELS Limited (KFELS) has earned a cash bonus and another contract from Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. to upgrade the sister rig, Ocean Rover. The $60 million project on Ocean Baroness only took 17 months and was delivered well ahead of schedule and on budget as well. While work was still in progress in November 2001, the owner, Diamond Offshore was so satisfied with the job that they awarded KFELS with the contract on Ocean Rover. Lawrence Dickerson, president and chief operating officer of Diamond Offshore said, “The upgrading of the Ocean Baroness was an outstanding workmanship by Keppel FELS. The timely delivery of this rig will bring substantial benefits to us. The Ocean Baroness will be the choice tool in the next phase of deepwater drilling.”

Crowley Marine Services' Energy and Marine Services business unit has successfully moved the 312-ft. square concrete island drilling structure Orlan from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Sovietskaya Gavan in the Russian Far East for Sakhalin I Project operator, Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation. The Orlan (ex Glomar Beaufort Sea I) Concrete Island Drilling System (CIDS) was purchased from Global Marine Drilling Company and will be used for oil production as part of the Sakhalin 1 project, offshore Russia. It was moved from its stack site near Northstar Island, off Prudhoe Bay using two Crowley Sea Victory Class 7,200 bhp twin screw oceangoing tugs with more than 110 tons bollard pull each.

ABS recently awarded Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. an International Safety Management (ISM) Document of Compliance certificate. The ISM certification is a requirement of the United Nations-led International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation, which became mandatory for all self-propelled offshore drilling vessels operating under member-state flags on July 1, 2002. prevention and the safe management of ship operations. management system designed to protect not only the vessel, but also the offshore personnel and marine environment where the vessel operates. Mexico; and the Ocean Alliance, Ocean Clipper and Ocean Yatzy, each currently operating off the coast of Brazil.