Jackup News

The shipping and maritime logistics arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is acquiring Zakher Marine International (ZMI), adding 24 jack-up barges and 38 offshore support vessels to its fleet. ZMI is an Abu Dhabi-based owner and operator of offshore support vessels, with what ADNOC says is the world’s largest fleet of self-propelled jack-up barges. On completion of the transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) total fleet will amount to more than 300 units.With the acquisition of ZMI…

PaxOcean, Singapore-based builder focused on offshore rigs, semi-submersibles and specialized offshore vessels, has signed a contract with Japanese general contractor Penta-Ocean Construction to construct a self-elevating platform (SEP) for use in the offshore wind sector in Japan.Scheduled for completion in Q3 2022, the SEP is of a GustoMSC design, equipped with four tubular legs and four azimuth thrusters.According to a press release from the subsidiary of Kuok Singapore Limited, it is fitted with a 1,600-tonne leg encircling crane, a large clear deck area of approximately 3,800 sqm, with accommodation designed for 80 persons.Chief Executive Officer of PaxOcean Holdings…

Saudi-based International Maritime Industries (IMI) has announced that it had signed a licence agreement with GustoMSC, a subsidiary of Houston rig and equipment builder National Oilwell Varco (NOV).The agreement entails a new GustoMSC drilling jack-up design which will utilize the modern manufacturing capabilities currently planned for at IMI, said a press note.As a result of the agreement IMI will be fully prepared for its first production operations anticipated in 2021.Fathi K Al Saleem, CEO of IMI, said: "This is a major step for IMI in securing the required knowledge and getting the best rig design which will be tailored to our state of the art construction capabilities…

Heavy-lift jack-up vessel Innovation, one of DEME’s DP2 installation vessels, left Damen Verolme Rotterdam shipyard in early September 2019 following a major refit. Innovation spent several months in the Verolme shipyard undergoing renewal of its aft leg sections and an overhaul of its jacking motors.Innovation measures 147.5 meters in length and operates on an electrical rack & pinion jacking system. The vessel supports offshore construction via the installation of foundations…

Mexican state-owned giant Pemex has chartered two jack-up rigs built and currently owned by Chinese yard CIMC Raffles.The two 400ft Jack-Up Drilling Rigs held a naming and departure ceremony at Longkou. The two rigs will soon sail to the gulf of Mexico to provide oil and gas drilling services to Pemex.Before that, CIMC Raffles and CMIC Ocean signed leasing contracts for the two rigs.The two rigs are named “Gulf Driller 6” and “Gulf Driller 8” respectively, are currently classified by ABS. They adopted JU2000E design which equipped with MHWirth drilling package, the over length is 70m, breadth is 76m, leg length is 167m.They are able to operate at water depth up to 120m(400ft) and drill wells down to 10668m(35000ft) at minus 20 degrees Celsius…

Global Energy Group (GEG) has won an offshore wind contract worth up to GBP12 million.GEG's Port of Nigg facility, on the Cromarty Firth in the Highlands, will handle the jacket foundation structures for the Moray East offshore wind farm."Global’s Port of Nigg has been earmarked to provide the services of the Port for receipt of completed jacket structures, that will be installed in the Moray Firth as foundations for the wind turbines. This will be the third success for the Cromarty Firth, after Port of Cromarty Firth at Invergordon announced a few months ago, their award for marshalling works for the turbines and piles for the same project…

Eagle and Falcon, sister vessels and the workhorses of the Offshore Heavy Transport  (OHT) family, were coincidentally working side by side in Singapore earlier this month loading two jack-up rigs.Eagle started her loading operation of the 14,527 mt CJ46 jack-up rig Noble Johnny Whitstine from 14 February, said a press note from the heavy transport vessel operator .Just after deballasting the vessel, and preparing cargo for sailing, Falcon arrived at the same anchorage, said the specialized heavy transport and installation contractor, building on Norway’s long and proud heritage in maritime pioneering.The Borr Drilling’s 16,415 mt jack-up rig Natt…

The Belgian dredging and hydraulic engineering group DEME NV said that its newest, self-propelled DP2 jack-up vessel ‘Apollo’ was officially named in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium on February 21.The ceremony was performed by Olympic, World and European Champion heptathlon Nafi Thiam, according to a press release.One of the exceptional features of the ‘Apollo’ are its extremely long lattice legs of 106.8 m, which allow the vessel to jack-up in water depths up to 65 m. The vessel is equipped with an 800-tonne, leg-encircling crane and has an unobstructed, spacious 2000 m² deck with a load carrying capacity of 15 t/m².“We are truly honored to have heptathlon champion Nafi Thiam as the godmother of our newest vessel…

Norwegian shipbuilder Ulstein and Dutch offshore consultancy SeaOwls BV have decided to each go their own separate ways in the offshore wind industry.The jointly developed SOUL jack-up concept is geared toward the transport and installation of the world’s largest and powerful offshore wind turbines in the coming decades.The patent rights of the concept were developed under the cooperation of both companies and will continue to be held by both SeaOwls and Ulstein, but each company will pursue its own business opportunities based on the shared patent.Ulstein Design & Solutions (formerly known as Ulstein Sea of Solutions) specializes in the design and development of ships for the offshore drilling…

Singapore's Keppel FELS has delivered the jackup rig, Cantarell IV, to Grupo R with a perfect safety record.The wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) said that as part of the deal, Grupo R has entered into a sale and leaseback agreement with FELS Asset, another wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel O&M.FELS Asset will purchase the rig from Grupo R for US$179m which is equivalent to the balance contract value of the rig. Cantarell IV will be leased back to Grupo R on a bareboat charter at competitive day rates over five years. IPC, the parent company of Grupo R, will provide a Parent Company Guarantee on Grupo R's charter payment obligations.Under the bareboat charter…

London-based offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation has bought a second newbuild Gusto MSC CJ46 design jack-up rig from the Singapore shipyard PaxOcean Group for $83.75 million. Like the Noble Johnny Whitstine, which the UK offshore driller purchased in September 2018 in connection with a Saudi Aramco contract, the newbuild CJ46 design jackup, to be named the Noble Joe Knight, was built at the PaxOcean Graha shipyard in Batam, Indonesia.The rig is built for operations in moderate drilling environments and is capable of operating in water depths of up to 375 feet, with well depths of 30,000 feet. Enhanced drilling capabilities are supported by a modern drilling control system…

London-based international law firm Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) advised Foresight Group of Dubai on the delivery arrangements relating to a LeTourneau Super 116E jackup drilling rig named “VIVEKANAND 3”.The rig was constructed in China by Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry Dalian Shipyard (“Cosco Dalian”) and is one of three jackup rigs constructed, delivered and employed over the last three years; a great achievement given the current challenges faced by the offshore drilling market.VIVEKANAND 3 will be deployed on charter to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (“ADNOC”) and is the last of the three rigs built for Foresight by Cosco Dalian.

Watson Farley & Williams advised HSBC Bank, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited HSBC Corporate Trustee Company  and a syndicate of banks including Mashreqbank, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited and Bank of Communications Ltd in connection with three Sinosure-backed loan facilities totalling approximately US$123m to UAE-based Zakher Marine International Inc (ZMI), to finance the construction and acquisition of three new high-spec jack-up barges.The delivery of the final two barges in September 2018 completed a structured financing and delivery process which saw Mashreqbank joining the project in 2017. Abu Dhabi-based ZMI was established in 1984 and now operates a fleet of 45 support…

Offshore driller Ensco Plc said on Monday it plans to buy smaller rival Rowan Cos Plc in an all-stock deal valued at $2.38 billion, as it looks to expand its fleet and benefit from a partnership with Saudi Aramco.This is Ensco's second deal since OPEC-led efforts boosted oil prices in the second half of 2016. Ensco bought rival Atwood Oceanics in a similar deal last year.Rowan shareholders will receive 2.215 Ensco shares for each share held.