Lamprell, GustoMSC join forces to develop Jackup Rig design

Lamprell announced its exclusive collaboration with GustoMSC to develop the Lamprell Jackup-43 (LJ43) jackup rig design, creating an advanced drilling rig with the highest level of safe, efficient and reliable drilling capabilities. 

The LJ43 drilling rig will combine Lamprell’s system integration capability, detailed engineering expertise and construction experience with the robust and advanced technology of GustoMSC designs. The rig utilises GustoMSC’s leg design with a custom designed hull and living quarters developed by Lamprell. It includes various high-end technology features such as a new innovative blowout preventer handling system and enhanced skidding capabilities via a X-Y cantilever, which will enable optimised and highly efficient drilling.

Lamprell and GustoMSC note that International Maritime Industries (IMI) and their drilling client, ARO Drilling, have selected the LJ43 design as the base for the jackup rigs which are to be built at the IMI yard in Ras Al Khair, eastern Saudi Arabia. Lamprell is a 20% shareholder in the IMI joint venture. The rig design has been developed by Lamprell and GustoMSC, with a view to meeting ARO Drilling’s specific  operational needs and drilling requirements for use in the Gulf region. ARO Drilling has announced plans to order at least 20 drilling jackup rigs for construction at the new IMI yard and Lamprell plans to support the IMI with the construction of parts of the first two jackup rigs. 

Christopher McDonald, CEO, Lamprell, said, “We have a long-established collaboration with GustoMSC, one of the world’s leading rig design houses, and this continues with the exclusive development of a proprietary design for jackup rigs combining state of the art technology with optimised construction techniques. In combination with our strategic investment into the IMI joint venture, this design strengthens our competitive position in our core rig market.

"An exciting development is the choice of the LJ43 rig design by ARO Drilling for the new build jackup rigs to be build at the new IMI maritime yard. We would like to thank both ARO Drilling and IMI for this decision and look forward to working closely with them in this regard.”

Nils van Nood, CEO GustoMSC, said, “We are excited to team up again with Lamprell in jointly developing the LJ43 and further strengthen our great working relation which started more than a decade ago. At the same time we are honored and grateful that the ARO Drilling expert team took the effort to evaluate our innovative solutions with a very open mind. That gave us all

the opportunity to exchange ideas and to develop the optimal solution for ARO Drilling’s mission, which will provide a strong contribution to implementing the Saudi Vision 2030.”