SembMarine techniques help deliver rigs faster
Completed on time, semi-submersible rig West Taurus is ready to drill on location
AMID the urgent demands of a robust rig charter market, Sembcorp Marine is using innovative techniques to help it deliver projects to clients faster.
The Friede and Goldman's ExD Millennium Class design semi-submersible drilling rig West Taurus, which was named on Saturday, was built using Jurong Shipyard's proprietary transverse skidding methodology in combination with the load-out and mating-in-dock technique.
The latter technique, in which the upper and lower hulls were constructed simultaneously and subsequently skidded and mated in the drydock, when used together with its transverse skidding method, enabled Jurong Shipyard to build and assemble the rig in close succession with its sister rig West Sirius which was delivered in March.
These pioneering techniques accelerated the delivery time for the semi-submersibles by four months, enabling the yard to deliver more than two semis a year.
'We are delighted with the on-time completion of West Taurus and more importantly she is ready to drill on location. This again proves Jurong Shipyard's ability to deliver above our expectations following the successful handover of West Sirius in March earlier this year,' said Seadrill Ltd president and CEO Alf Thorkildsen. 'We commend the Jurong Shipyard team for their professionalism, dedication and commitment in achieving this remarkable milestone. West Taurus will be an invaluable addition to our existing rig fleet and we are confident the yard will continue to deliver excellent results on the other two rigs we have entrusted them.'
After installation and commissioning of thrusters and sea trials following the launch, West Taurus is scheduled for delivery in November when it will begin a six-year charter with Petrobras at one of the offshore fields in Brazil.
Petrobras has also awarded similar charter contracts to three other semi-submersible rigs under construction in Jurong Shipyard, including Seadrill's third rig unit. In addition, Seadrill's West Sirius, which is now operating in the Gulf of Mexico, had its contract extended by Devon Energy from four to six years.
The sixth-generation deepwater semi is the second of four Seadrill has on order with SembMarine. The third and fourth rig units are currently under construction in the yard with deliveries scheduled in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
Built to Friede and Goldman's ExD Millennium Class design, West Taurus is engineered for deep-drilling capabilities of up to 37,500 feet in dynamic positioning mode in ultra-deep waters of up to 10,000 feet.