KepFels delivers jackup rig ahead of time
Amid the current oil boom and consequent rush to get drilling rigs to market, Keppel Offshore and Marine unit Keppel Fels has proven its capability yet again with the on-time and incident-free delivery of another KFels B Class jackup rig on Saturday.
In fact, the Discovery I was delivered 49 days ahead of schedule and with 2.2 million man-hours without incidents, securing KepFels a $1 million bonus from owner Discovery Drilling, a joint venture with Jindal Drilling and Industries (JDIL), the offshore drilling and services arm of top Indian diversified industrial house DP Jindal Group.
The delivery of this rig is the latest in a growing trend of jackup orders from the Indian subcontinent as companies there ramp up their capabilities to meet burgeoning market demand. Over the last five years, Indian offshore and marine companies have ordered a total of nine jackup drilling rigs, all KFels B Class designs, amounting to approximately US$1.5 billion from Keppel.
Noting the good relations between India and Singapore, guest of honour Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said: 'KepFels's collaboration with the Jindal Group is a win-win relationship between two industry leaders, and another win-win tie-up between Singapore and India. There is much potential for Singapore companies to work with their Indian counterparts as India intensifies the development of oil and gas resources.'
'We are pleased with the early delivery of the rig. The bonding and coordination of the Discovery Drilling, Jindal and Keppel teams have been excellent. KepFels will always be our preferred partner,' said JDIL managing director Naresh Kumar.
KepFels's proprietary KFels B Class design has been developed to meet the requirements of drillers for more powerful jackups as the search for hydrocarbons moves into harsher environments and deeper waters. Discovery I is the 23rd out of a total of 33 KFels B Class rigs to enter the offshore market. It has been chartered to Indian national oil company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for deployment in the Indian Ocean over three years beginning in November.
Discovery I has been enhanced for the conditions of offshore India and meets ONGC's unique requirements of environment, bearing pressure and rig geometry. It is capable of operating in water depths of 350 feet and drilling down to 30,000 feet. This design also incorporates Keppel's advanced and fully-automated high capacity rack and pinion elevating system, and Self-Positioning Fixation System.
'This accomplishment demonstrates the strong project management skills of KepFels and our excellent teamwork with Discovery Drilling and Jindal. At all times, Safety remains our top priority. It is ingrained in our processes and even more so in our mindset,' said Keppel Offshore and Marine chairman and CEO Choo Chiau Beng.