David Paganie • Houston
Murphy, Prosafe confirm first FDPSO contract
Murphy West Africa Ltd. has contracted Prosafe to convert a tanker into a floating drilling, production, storage, and offloading (FDPSO) unit, marking the first FPSO with an integrated mobile drilling rig, according to Prosafe. The $400-million contract will begin in 1Q 2009 and has a firm period of seven years, with four two-year options.
Prosafe has awarded Keppel Shipyard a $100-million contract to convert the 270,551-dwt VLCCMT Europe into the FDPSO with capacity to store 1.3 MMbbl of oil and to process 40,000 b/d of oil and 18 MMcf/d of gas. Conversion is expected to be complete in late 2008.
The vessel will be spread-moored in 1,400 m (4,593 ft) of water on the deepwater Azurite field in the Mer Profonde Sud block offshore the Republic of the Congo. First production is expected in early 2009.
Rowan to build six new jackup rigs
Rowan plans to build six new jackup drilling rigs. The company has contracted with Keppel AmFELS Inc. for construction of four Super 116E-class jackup drilling rigs at an average cost of $175 million each. The rigs are to be built at AmFELS’ Brownsville, Texas, yard with delivery every four months starting in 2Q 2010.
Rowan says it also will build two more 240C-class jackup rigs at its Vicksburg, Mississippi, shipyard for delivery in 3Q 2010 and 3Q 2011 at a total cost of $400 million.
“Each of these new rigs will employ the latest technology to be able to efficiently drill high-pressure, high-temperature, and extended-reach wells in just about every prominent jackup market throughout the world,” says Danny McNease, chairman and CEO of Rowan. All six of these new rigs will be equipped to reach 35,000 ft (10,668 m) TD.”
Samsung delivers drillship
Samsung delivered the drillshipStena DrillMAX on Nov. 9, 2007, to Stena Drilling Ltd. from Samsung Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Busan, South Korea. Stena DrillMAX is a dual-mast, DP-3 drillship, capable of drilling to 35,000 ft (10,668 m) TD in up to 10,000 ft (3,048 m) water depth.
The $640-million drillship is scheduled to leave for Brazil in February 2008 to drill its first deepwater well in 7,200 ft (2,195 m) of water. This is part of a four-year deal that Stena signed with Repsol YPF to conduct ultra deepwater drilling in Brazil and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Keppel delivers jackup
Keppel AmFELS has delivered its second jackup drilling rig to Scorpion Offshore. The delivery ofOffshore Defender comes five months after Keppel completed its first jackup rig for Scorpion.
The LeTourneau Super 116-designed jackupOffshore Defender is capable of drilling to 30,000 ft (9,144 m) TD in up to 400 ft (122 m) water depth.
Scorpion has contracted Keppel AmFELS to build a fleet of five drilling rigs. Construction of the remaining three is in progress, and the rigs are scheduled for delivery into 2009.
Aker Kvaerner to support subsea vessel
Aker Kvaerner has signed a letter of intent with Aker Oilfield Services to provide equipment and personnel to the world’s first deepwater Subsea Equipment Support Vessel (SESV). The $60-million contract is expected to begin by 2010.
As part of the five-year deal, Aker Kvaerner will develop specially designed installation equipment for subsea trees and support tools for subsea intervention.
The SESV is designed to operate in up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) water depth. The vessel is capable of reducing deepwater subsea construction time by 80% compared to conventional rig-based operations, according to Aker Kvaerner.
New crane vessel under construction
Seaway Heavy Lifting’s GustoMSC-designed crane vesselOleg Strashnov is under construction at IHC Holland Merwede Group’s Merwede shipyard in the Netherlands. GustoMSC also has a design and turnkey supply contract for the vessel’s 5,000-metric ton (5,512-ton) revolving crane. Delivery is expected in 2Q 2010.
