Rig News

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…

The Estonian government's decision to initiate the construction permit procedure for the Gulf of Riga offshore wind farm allows Eesti Energia to continue its research and search for partners for the construction of an offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Riga.Eesti Energia, the state-owned international energy company that operates in Baltic countries, said that the Gulf of Riga offshore wind farm has the potential to become the first joint Estonian-Latvian renewable energy production project, as the Latvian-developed wind farm development area is only 10 km away from the Gulf of Riga."There is no experience of building an offshore wind farm in Estonia, so it is logical that an offshore wind farm of this size will be made in cooperation with several companies.

MMA Offshore, the provider of marine solutions and expertise to the offshore oil and gas industry, has been awarded a number of new contract awards and extensions.AGR Australia has awarded MMA a two-vessel contract supporting the Noble Tom Prosser Rig as part of the Victorian government’s CarbonNet Project, said the Australian company.The contract is expected to start late this month with a duration of about 45 days, the owner and operator of 30+ offshore supply vessels said.Esso Australia Pty Ltd has awarded MMA a three-vessel contract, also supporting the Noble Tom Prosser Rig and commencing in direct continuation of the AGR contract.

Offshore drilling contractor Awilco Drilling has said that the first steel has been cut for its second rig under construction at a Keppel yard."We are pleased to confirm that first steel cutting took place for the lower hull of our new CS60 ECO drilling semi-submersible at KeppelFels shipyard in Nantong, China," said the drilling contractors based in the North Sea oil & gas sector."We expect to also strike steel on the upper hull at KeppelFels in Singapore within December," it said.The new rig is scheduled for delivery in March 2021, the UK offshore company said.Meanwhile, Awilco Drilling reported contract revenue of USD 10.3 million (USD 10.4 million in Q2)…

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…

The Norwegian Shipowners' Association (NGA) reached an agreement with Industri Energi and SAFE in the Mid-Term Settlement for employees on mobile offshore units, drilling and catering on permanently placed facilities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, after mediation at the national Mediator’s Office several hours past deadline.The result involves a general wage growth of 3,6%. A strike among under 1600 rig workers is thus prevented."For the sake of the competitive situation and jobs on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, it is essential that we have avoided conflict and feel both parties have had to give and take," said the head negotiator for the NSA, Jakob Korsgaard, CEO of Maersk Drilling Norway.The mediations turned out to be very demanding, NGA said in a statement.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and Corvus Energy have reached a licensing agreement for a novel lithium-ion capacitor (LiC) technology developed by Corvus for KHI.The LiC-based energy storage systems (ESS) to be sold by Corvus to offshore vessels and oil rigs globally.“Corvus Energy has been an outstanding development partner for the LiC technology,” says Takeshi Ohata, Managing Executive Officer of Kawasaki Heavy Industries at their headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.“Their battery engineering experience and marine market leadership gives Corvus Energy expertise unlike any other. Their knowhow around thermal management inside battery modules is critical to ensuring safe and reliable operation…

In an Industry first, the provider of classification services to the offshore industry ABS partnered with Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) in developing the first two new build Drilling Rigs with Smart Notations.One of the rigs, which was delivered earlier this year for work in offshore Mexico, is already online with its performance being monitored from Singapore.In line with issuing the ABS Guide for Smart Functions for Marine Vessels and Offshore Units, Keppel O&M is recognized as the first shipyard group to integrate smart functions into rigs.Keppel O&M is a global leader in offshore rig design, construction and repair, ship repair and conversion…

Drilling wells more than three miles deep in the late 1960s was something that GHK Company and partner Lone Star Producing Company believed would product massive amounts of natural gas. The two companies that began this project discovered in 1974 that South of Burns Flat in Washita County their Bertha Rogers No. 1 rig would reach almost six miles deep, following a deep-sea fishing trip. Averaging 60 feet per day, the rig (at that time) was destined to become the world’s deepest well.

The largest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam has reported a new transhipment record for the first six months of 2019 - 240.7 million tonnes, or a 3.4% increase compared to 2018.The offshore sector also made a significant contribution to the maritime activity. 440 offshore vessels, ranging from crane vessels to jack up rigs and from heavy cargo vessels to work/repair vessels, have entered the Maasmond in the past six months.The number of about 75 monthly 'port calls' by vessels for the offshore sector is likely to continue to grow in the second half of the year.Activities in the field of offshore wind are increasing sharply and there is also a slight increase in the field of oil & gas.Traffic to and from Sif Maasvlakte…

The North Sea spot market has improved during the second quarter of 2019, as a result of increased rig activity, said Viking Supply Ships.However, the Norway-based supply shipping company expects that the overall market conditions will likely remain somewhat challenging.According to Trond Myklebust, CEO and President of Viking Supply Ships, the rig activity in the North Sea is expected to see a modest increase during Q3, before softening slightly during the winter season.The long-term trend within the offshore market is however positive, with a gradual recovery of the rig activity in the region. It is therefore expected that also the OSV segment will gradually improve.The North Sea market has seen increased activity levels during the second quarter.

UK based Independent Oil & Gas (IOG) has confirmed that the Maersk Resilient rig spudded the Harvey appraisal well on 6 August 2019.The North Sea firm said in a press release that as previously indicated, completion of the well is expected to take approximately two months in the success case.According to the development and production company focused on becoming a substantial UK gas producer, Harvey is centrally located within IOG’s asset portfolio in UK Southern North Sea Blocks 48/23c, 48/24a, and 48/24b, close to the Thames Pipeline export route.The primary objective of the well is to confirm gas volumes which management estimate at 85/129/199 BCF Prospective Resources in the Low/Best/High case…

Oil & natural gas company Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP) has awarded AqualisBraemar a frame agreement to conduct rig inspection services for the operator.The agreement is valid for three years with an option to extend the contract for additional periods of three times one year, said the Norway-based global company that provides, through its subsidiaries and associates, consultancy services to the energy, marine and insurance sectors.Oslo-listed AqualisBraemar – a result of the recent unification between Aqualis Offshore and Braemar Technical Services – will provide rig inspection services, engineering and training services to Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP).AqualisBraemar will manage the contract out of its office in Malaysia…

Two Greenpeace activists who were occupying an oil rig have been removed from the structure and arrested.Officers boarded the Transocean rig in the Cromarty Firth, which was contracted by BP for drilling operations in the UK North Sea, at around 2pm on Thursday and arrested two environmental campaigner men, aged 40 and 50, ending a five-day protest.The action is part of the group’s efforts to stop BP’s drilling plans offshore Scotland. The rig had been due to leave from near Invergordon, heading for the Vorlich oil field east of Aberdeen. Police said nine people in total had been arrested in connection with the demonstration.On the 5th day of the standoff between Greenpeace and BP…

UK-based Reabold Resources said Rathlin Energy UK Ltd has signed a rig contract for the onshore UK West Newton appraisal well.The appraisal well at West Newton will have two objectives. The first objective is to appraise the Kirkham Abbey Formation gas discovery which has a 72 per cent. chance of success and an NPV of $185m.The second objective of the well is to test a deeper Cadeby Formation reef flank oil prospect, considered by Rathlin to have an NPV of $850m and a 24 per cent. chance of success.In line with Reabold's investment strategy, West Newton, in a success case, offers a fast pathway to monetisation through its proximity to existing gas pipelines and infrastructure.In 2017…

Neptune Energy Norge AS has hired the newly built Beacon Atlantic semi-submersible drilling rig for up to 16 wells offshore Norway.The oil and gas producer said in a press release that it has chartered the rig from China’s rig builder CIMC Raffles, and the rig will be managed by the Norwegian offshore drilling specialist Odfjell Drilling.The commencement of the drilling operations is expected to be in Q4 2019 and the estimated duration of the firm program is 400 days. CIMC Raffles and Odfjell Drilling are further establishing a project team at the shipyard to prepare and mobilize for the operations in the North Sea.CIMC Raffles and Odfjell…

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…

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.

Saudi Aramco has awarded major stimulation and well-testing contract to Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE). BHGE will deliver a comprehensive well services solution including all cased-hole wireline logging, perforation, well testing, stimulation, fracturing and associated intervention services.By integrating discrete products, services and capabilities into a single offering, BHGE will help Saudi Aramco reduce time, costs and complexity while increasing efficiency.The three-year contract includes the option of two one-year extensions and the project is expected to commence in December 2018.The work is expected to create more than 200 new engineering…