Keppel Delivers Third Maersk DSS 21 Semisub

Keppel FELS Ltd (Keppel FELS) delivered the third DSS 21 deepwater semisubmersible (semi) drilling rig to Maersk Drilling (Maersk) 43 days ahead of schedule and with a perfect safety record, garnering a bonus of $400,000.

Mr Claus V. Hemmingsen, CEO of Maersk Drilling said, “The Maersk-Keppel partnership, spanning a decade, has achieved considerable milestones together.

“Now, with the addition of Maersk Deepwater Semi III, our high-specification DSS 21 rig fleet which is in the league of some of the world’s most advanced deepwater rigs will help position Maersk Drilling as the leading offshore solutions provider in the industry.

“We are pleased with the consistently excellent performance Keppel FELS has demonstrated, to continuously improve construction of the series of rigs.”

Tong Chong Heong, CEO of Keppel O&M, said, “We are proud to be Maersk’s preferred partner for its fleet expansion plans. The safe and early completion of Maersk Deepwater Semi III attests to the astute choice made by Maersk to build the premium fleet with Keppel FELS, as well as the solidarity and calibre of our teams working hand in glove with one another.

“The success of this Series of semis is built upon our long term partnership with thought-leading operators such as Maersk, who have provided the necessary platforms for our technologies to gain market ascendance.

“At Keppel O&M, we are focused on providing quality solutions to meet the emerging challenges in deeper waters and harsher environments. We will continue to grow and leverage our technology capabilities to better serve our customers’ needs. We are confident that this high quality rig will deliver the highest performance as had its predecessors.”

"The demand for modern drillings rigs has increased over the past years concurrently with the growing technical challenges we are faced with in the drilling industry. The search for new finds is moving to deeper waters and areas with complex soil conditions and more advanced drilling rigs are needed to meet those challenges. Our ultra deepwater semisubmersibles are well equipped to meet this demand,” Mr Claus V. Hemmingsen, CEO of Maersk Drilling added.

DSS Series rigs are highly cost effective exploration units capable of drilling down 10,000 m (30,000 ft) wells and operating at a water depth of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). The Series also features a dynamic positioning system, with the ability to attach to a prelaid mooring system.

DSS Series rigs are particularly well suited to drill deep and complicated wells in areas such as offshore West Africa, Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and Southeast Asia, and may be further customised to meet the unique challenges of each location.