Keppel Delivers Project to Qatar Ahead of Schedule

Keppel FELS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine, will deliver its first jackup drilling rig ahead of time to Qatar’s national drilling company, Gulf Drilling International Ltd Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (Keppel O&M), will deliver its first jackup drilling rig ahead of time to Qatar’s national drilling company, Gulf Drilling International Ltd (GDI). Built to Keppel’s proprietary KFELS B Class design, the first rig will be named Al-Khor, after one of Qatar’s historical cities which has contributed to the development of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the country in recent years. Lim Boon Heng, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Singapore and Mr S Al-Shirrawi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GDI and Finance Director of Qatar Petroleum graced the occasion of its inauguration ceremony at Keppel FELS in Singapore today.

Al-Khor has been built to GDI’s specifications for operations in water depths of up to 300 feet and drilling depth of down to 30,000 feet. The rig can accommodate up to 110 men and is readily upgradeable for higher drilling capabilities in water depths of up to 400 feet. When delivered, it will contribute to the development of Qatar's Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry, as the State strives towards being the world’s largest exporter of LNG by 2012.