Keppel FELS to Deliver 100th Jackup Rig
Keppel FELS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) is on track to deliver PV Drilling VI, a KFELS B Class jackup rig, to PV Drilling Overseas (PVDO), a subsidiary of PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corp (PV Drilling) on time, on budget and with a perfect safety record.
It is the 100th jackup rig Keppel FELS has built since 1970, of which more than half are based on the KFELS B Class design. Developed by Keppel's technology arm, Offshore Technology Development, this design has a market share of about a quarter of all jackup rigs delivered since 2000.
The naming ceremony of PV Drilling VI was held at Keppel FELS today and witnessed by Guest of honour Mr Nguyen Xuan Son, Chairman of PetroVietnam.
The KFELS B Class rig is be able to operate in water depths of up to 400 ft with a drilling depth of 30,000 ft. PV Drilling VI has been further enhanced with features like engines that meet more stringent emission standards, increased capacity for mud pit tanks, a secondary tensioning system, accommodation for 150 persons as well as a lower spud can bearing pressure for operation in areas with soft soil conditions.
Mr Pham Tien Dung, CEO of PV Drilling and Chairman of PVDO, said, “The high-specification and cost-efficient PV Drilling VI is PVDO’s first jack-up rig, and will play an important role in accelerating PVDO’s drilling program for South East Asia and beyond. We recognize the strength of the KFELS B Class rigs as the three rigs that are operating for PV Drilling have been performing very well.
“Keppel FELS has a solid track record in delivering technologically advanced rigs with great quality and efficiency. Therefore, we are glad to have built this partnership and look forward to working together on many other projects to come.”
Besides newbuild rigs, Keppel O&M has also completed a number of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel conversions for PetroVietnam including one of Vietnam's largest FPSOs, delivered to PV Keez for the Chim Sao field and more recently, the FPSO Lam Son.