David Paganie • Houston
The first of seven newbuild Ensco International ENSCO 8500 Series semisubmersible drilling rigs,ENSCO 8500, has started work in the Gulf of Mexico under a four-year contract with Anadarko and Eni.
The next rig in the series,ENSCO 8501, is expected to begin work in the GoM in mid-October under a three-and-a-half-year contract with Nexen and Noble Energy. The ENSCO 8502 (contracted to Nexen) and ENSCO 8503 (contracted to Cobalt) are scheduled for delivery next year and both are under contract for two-year terms in the region.
The final three in the series:ENSCO 8504, scheduled for delivery in 2011; and ENSCO 8505 and ENSCO 8506, scheduled for delivery in 2012, are not yet contracted.
Keppel FELS builtENSCO 8500 in Singapore and is constructing the rest of the seven-rig fleet.
Petrobras, Sevan revise Sevan Driller contract
Petrobras and Sevan have approved a revised charter contract for the semisubmersibleSevan Driller. The contract has been reassigned from Petrobras Americas Inc. to Petrobras SA for operations offshore Brazil instead of the US GoM, as agreed initially.
The rig, scheduled to arrive offshore Brazil in the fourth quarter of this year, will drill presalt wells in the Santos basin in water depths from 2,400 m (7,874 ft). The contract term remains at six years.
Sevan Driller is in the final stages of construction at the Cosco Shipyard in China.
LeTourneau wins rig kit contract
PetroVietnam Shipyard has awarded LeTourneau Technologies (LTI) a $40-million contract to provide the rig kit, license, and technical consultancy assistance for the construction of a newbuild Super 116E jackup rig. PetroVietnam Shipyard is building the rig for Vietnam Oil & Gas Group in Vung Tau City, S. R. Vietnam.
LTI will supply rig kit equipment, including the leg components, elevating system, controls, spud can materials, cantilever skidding system, and hold-down structures. LTI will deliver the kit in stages beginning in the fourth quarter of this year with the final shipment in 3Q 2010.
The Super 116E Class is one of five LTI jackup rig designs. The Super 116E provides for up to 2,000 kips greater payload than its predecessor and is designed to drill in up to 350 ft (107 m) of water in moderate environmental locations. The rig can be outfitted to handle high-temperature/high-pressure wells.
Rolls-Royce unveils new vessel design
Rolls-Royce unveiled a new vessel design, UT 790 CD, at Nor-Shipping in Oslo, Norway, in June. Its hull “pierces” through the water rather than riding on top of the waves, allowing the vessel to run continuously at service speeds regardless of the sea state, reducing fuel consumption and improving crew comfort, the company says. At speeds of 14 knots and in harsh weather conditions, tank tests have shown no water above forecastle deck level, according to the company.
Features of the new design include a repositioned engine room astern, wet exhaust system, the same fiber and rope capacity operating with four secondary winches as a traditional anchor handler has with six, according to Rolls-Royce, and the power and capacity to handle cable, chain, and rope down to 2,000 m (6,562 ft) and fiber rope down to 3,000 m (9,843 ft).
Other features include extra buoyancy in the cargo railings and a Rolls-Royce Safer Deck Operations system including anchor handling cranes, chain wheel changer, and torpedo anchor handling system.
One new feature of the vessel, Rolls-Royce points out, is the introduction of a three-screw propulsion system that combines a center controllable pitch propeller with two azipull thrusters with nozzles. This adds to the vessel’s flexibility and improved fuel economy, the company says.
The vessel also comes with a multi-drive power electrical system that gives flexibility in different operating modes. This optimizes fuel efficiency and reduces emissions substantially compared to conventional propulsion systems, Rolls-Royce says.
Bee Mar introduces newbuild fleet
Newly formed marine transportation company Bee Mar is introducing a fleet of DP-2 platform supply vessels (PSVs) for offshore support in the Gulf of Mexico and international markets.
The Bee Mar newbuild fleet will consist of five 210-ft (64-m) and three 234-ft (71-m) ABS-classed DP-2 PSVs. The 210-ft x 56-ft x 18-ft (64-m x 17-m x 5-m) PSVs have capacity for 2,700 long tons (3,024 tons) of cargo, clear deck, 6,300 bbl of liquid mud, and 6,000 cu ft (170 cu m) of dry bulk. The vessels are rated at 4,000 bhp.
The first two vessels, M/VBusy Bee and M/V Worker Bee, were scheduled to be delivered by late June for service in the GoM, with a sister ship being delivered every 60 days thereafter. The vessels are being built at Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana.
The first of three 234-ft PSVs with 3,000 metric tons (3,360 tons) of cargo capacity is scheduled for delivery in March 2010, with two additional vessels to be delivered later that year. The clear deck on this class of vessel will be 175 ft x 47 ft (53 m x 14 m) with 9,000 bbl of liquid mud and 6,000 cu ft of dry bulk capacity.
Houston-based Bee Mar is marketing its newbuild fleet for deepwater E&P, deep shelf work, construction, seismic, and well services. Van C. DeWitt is president and CEO.
Signal delivers upgraded Frontier Driller
Signal International has delivered the semisubmersibleFrontier Driller after completing a major upgrade and modernization.
The work included a new derrick (single lift) and new BOP handling structure; addition of winch decks (four corners), new riser decks and new ROV deck; raising a mud pit roof; converting chain lockers to bulk mud tanks; and adding a new cement deck. A new helicopter deck and aft lifeboat deck also were set and secured, Signal says.
All pipe systems were renewed, modified, or replaced and tested, along with the rig’s HVAC systems. The entire electrical system on the rig was re-powered, including all four mains, all new SCR, and MCC.
The final phase of the project consisted of fabricating and installing 1,000 tons (907 metric tons) of steel, adding two pontoon sponsons and four columns to the rig. Signal fabricated one new column, while subcontracting and managing the fabrication of the remaining components. Each column was assembled and outfitted with ladders, man-ways, and vent piping, then blasted and painted internally and externally.
