Judy Maksoud • Houston
Dockwise puts new vessel to work
Dockwise Shipping BV took delivery of the Blue Marlin in late February after its conversion into the world's largest semisubmersible heavy transport vessel. The newly converted vessel can now carry cargos up to 73,000 metric tons.
The Blue Marlin transports the Dai Hung 1 semi.
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After a three-month conversion at the Hyundai Mipo yard in Ulsan, South Korea, the heavy transport vessel rejoined the Dockwise fleet with an increased deadweight capacity of 76,061 tons. The beam has been increased by 21 m, resulting in an increased unobstructed deck area of 11,227 sq m. The propulsion system of the vessel has been upgraded and extended with two Azimuth retractable propulsors of 4.5 mW each to provide optimum maneuverability and seagoing characteristics while carrying ultra-large cargoes.
Dockwise said the jumboized Blue Marlin will create the next phase in the transportation of fully integrated, heavier, ultra-large floating production and drilling platforms. These units are preferably built fully integrated to minimize hook-up and commissioning offshore.
The first commitment for the Blue Marlin in this segment of the heavy transport market has already been made. In the summer of 2004, the vessel will transport an ultra-large semisubmersible production drilling and quarters that is 163.8 m long, 125.89 m wide, 129.1 m high, and weighing 60,000 metric tons.
Rowan christens the Scooter Yeargain
Rowan Companies Inc. christened the Scooter Year-gain jackup April 3, 2004. The new jackup is the first of the Tarzan-class rigs designed especially for shallow-water, deep drilling.
The Scooter Yeargain is rated for 250 ft water depth and is able to handle 7,000,000 lb of variable deck load, in comparison to the 7,687,000 lbs capability of the much bigger Gorilla IV. Part of the reason for the high deck load is the use of higher yield steel, which resulted in a 10% savings on the total rig weight.
Instead of a standard trio of mud pumps, the Scooter Yeargain is equipped with a mud system that delivers 7,500 psi via three 3,000-hp pumps. The new mud pumps, designed by LeTourneau Ellis Williams Co. (Lewco), have the highest specifications on the market. This provision is essential for drilling the HT/HP wells that are being targeted on the continental shelf.
Rowan's Scooter Yeargain jackup is the first of the new Tarzan class design.
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Pumping capabilities set this rig apart from others in its water depth class. The mud pumps can pump over 3,100 gpm, in comparison to Rowan's first series of Gorilla rigs, which pump about 1,400 gpm at 4,400 psi. The objective is to deliver the greatest volume possible in the shallow hole sections and to deliver higher pressure, up to 1,800 gpm at 7,500 psi, when the well reaches greater depth.
The opposed jacking system will also expand the rig's capabilities, allowing it to jack with up to 50% preload. The system requires fewer motors and gear boxes in the legs and jacking columns than other jacking systems. Finally, the system allows more effective leg length as a result of a shorter jacking housing and increases the rig's variable deck load.
Unlike other shallow-water jackups on the market today, the Scooter Yeargain is outfitted with a kit that allows it to reach a level of performance comparable to Rowan's Gorilla IV, an ultra-harsh environment rig.
Jumbo Javelin joins the Jumbo fleet
Jumbo's first super heavy lift carrier, the Jumbo Javelin arrived Feb. 25 at the Huisman-Itrec yard in Schiedam, The Netherlands. Over the following two months, the vessel was to be outfitted with two 800-metric-ton mast cranes. It was to be completely operational by the second half of April 2004.
The Jumbo Javelin's sister vessel is under construction at the Damen Shipyard in Galatz, where work will be completed by the middle of June. Like the Jumbo Javelin, the vessel will then move to Schiedam for crane installation and should be complete in September.
