Keppel’s Yard Delivers Rig to ENSCO

Keppel’s yard in Brownsville, Texas, AMFELS Inc. has delivered on time and on budget, a KFELS MOD V “B” class ultra premium jack-up drilling unit to a subsidiary of ENSCO International Incorporated. ENSCO 105 is the second MOD V “B” new generation deep-well drilling rig that has been completed. The total cost of construction and outfitting for the ENSCO 105 was in excess of US$100 million (S$175m), of which work performed by AMFELS formed a major portion. The first KFELS MOD V “B” was Chiles Discovery (now renamed ENSCO 104) built and delivered by Keppel FELS in Singapore in March this year, and currently deployed in the Bayu-Undan field in Timor Sea for Phillips Petroleum Company. The KFELS MOD V “B” class jack-up showcases the design and engineering expertise of Keppel and incorporates its proprietary advanced high-capacity rack and pinion elevating unit and self-positioning fixation system, both developed by Keppel Offshore & Marine’s Offshore Technology Development (OTD) division. At the rig’s christening ceremony in AMFELS, Mr Choo Chiau Beng, Chairman and CEO of Keppel Offshore & Marine said, “The design and construction of the two KFELS MOD V “B” class jack-ups is a significant milestone for Keppel as we seek to deliver quality products and services to customers at competitive prices. “We are privileged to have participated in the growth and expansion of the fleet of ENSCO rigs in the last few years. We built ENSCO 101, an enhanced MOD V harsh environment jack-up in year 2000. This year alone, we delivered three jack-ups to the company, namely, ENSCO 102, ENSCO 104 and now ENSCO 105.” Mr Carl Thorne, Chairman and CEO of ENSCO said, “The ENSCO 105 exemplifies the excellent quality we have come to expect from a succession of successful projects in Keppel facilities, and we congratulate the entire team at AMFELS for this achievement. We are pleased that the addition of ENSCO 105 to our fleet further strengthens ENSCO’s position in the premium jack-up market.” The KFELS MOD V “B” class design exceeds the conventional non-harsh environment design capabilities and can be upgraded for harsh environment usage. ENSCO 105 is capable of drilling in water depth of up to 375 feet and its construction took twenty-three months. It is currently in AMFELS undergoing preparation for its first operational assignment.