David Paganie • Houston
Keppel wins vessel repair, upgrade contracts
Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd. (Keppel O&M) has secured contracts from China Oilfield Services Ltd. (COSL), Noble Drilling, and Diamond Offshore totaling $21 million through its overseas subsidiaries to upgrade and repair three semisubmersibles.
COSL has awarded Keppel Verolme a contract for the repair and upgrade of the semisubmersible accommodation rigCOSLRival. The work scope includes the upgrading of electrical switchboards, piping systems, and the overhauling of marine equipment as well as deck crane reinforcement.
COSLRival arrived at Keppel Verolme in May for general class renewal surveys, inspections, overhauls, and repairs. Photo courtesy of Keppel.
In Brazil, Keppel FELS Brasil has won contracts for the repair and upgrade of Noble Drilling'sNoble Paul Wolff and Diamond Offshore's OceanYatzy.
The upgrading ofNoble Paul Wolff includes the renewal of piping systems, anodes in tanks, and steel work. Leased by Petrobras, the rig will return to work offshore Brazil after repairs are completed.
The DP drilling semisumbersibleOceanYatzy will have structural repairs carried out on a lifeboat platform, stability column, and helideck, as well as several piping and steel deck renewal works.
COSL commissions two newbuild vessels
China Oilfield Services (COSL) has commissioned two newbuild vessels:COSL720, a 12-streamer geophysical deepwater vessel to be built by Shanghai Shipyard; and COSL708, a 12-streamer dual-detector geophysical deepwater vessel to be built by CSSC Guangzhou Shipbuilding.
COSL720, powered by diesel and electricity, will be used mainly for collection of 3D seismic data in deepwater. Electrically powered, COSL708 will be used primarily in geological surveying for ocean-bound engineering projects.
The vessels are scheduled for delivery in March and April 2011, respectively.
In other new construction news, PetroVietnam has awarded Forum Trading and Services Corp. a project management consultancy services contract for the construction of a new jackup drilling rig.
The rig will be built at PetroVietnam Marine Shipyard in Vung Tau and will be the first jackup to be built in Vietnam, the company says. The rig is designed to drill in up to 60 m (197 ft) of water.
Construction is expected to be completed in 32 months.
HHI moves ahead with Usan FPSO
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has held a keel-laying ceremony for the Usan FPSO at its H-dock in Korea. Construction is expected to be completed by February 2011. The FPSO will measure 320 m (1,050 ft) long, 61 m (200 ft) wide, and 32 m (105 ft) deep. It is designed to process 160,000 b/d of oil and 5 MMcm/d (177 MMcf/d) of natural gas, and store 2 MMbbl of oil. It will be moored in 750 m (2,461 ft) of water at the EPNL-operated Usan field offshore Nigeria.
HHI's H-dock, which was completed in April, is wider and deeper than normal shipbuilding drydocks and is equipped with two 1,600-ton (1,451-metric ton) Goliath-class cranes. HHI says it can build an FPSO hull side four weeks faster than normal and also cut production costs by 15%.
Yantai Raffles launches its first elevating support vessel
Yantai Raffles Shipyard has launched its first elevating support vessel for Remedial Offshore. The ESV is designed for well intervention in water depths up to 325 ft (99 m) and combines the capabilities of a jackup platform, an ocean-going vessel, workover drilling rig, heavy-lift crane, and an offshore accommodations platform into a single package.
The vessel's design allows elevated operations of up to 55 ft (17 m) away from the well structure. The ESV hosts 11,409 sq ft (1,060 sq m) available deck area for equipment rig-up, combined with a 280-metric-ton (309-short-ton) pedestal crane mounted on a moveable structure. There is also accommodation for up to 120 personnel.
At print, the ESV was to be moored to enable completion of installation and commissioning of its jacking system. This would be followed by leg installation and pipe and cable outfitting.
Sea trials and delivery are expected before the end of this year.
Lamprell completes Seajacks liftboat
Lamprell has delivered a second new liftboat to Seajacks UK from its new Hamriyah Freezone yard in UAE.
The Gusto MSC-designedSeajacksLeviathan is a self-propelled, self-elevating liftboat equipped with a Class 2 DP system and accommodations for 90 people.
Lamprell managed detailed design and construction of the vessel and also was responsible for procurement and outfitting. The $112-million construction program was completed in 18 months.
Drydocks World Dubai delivers Polarcus Nadia
Drydocks World Dubai has launched the marine seismic vesselPolarcusNadia. The vessel was purpose built for the 3D marine seismic market and is capable of towing up to 12 m x 8,000 m (39 ft x 26,247 ft) streamers.
The vessel design incorporates an Ulstein X-bow hull, a selective catalytic reduction system, and a DP-2 dynamic positioning system.
PGS unveils new seismic vessel
PGS has named its new 22-streamer seismic vessel,RamformSterling. The vessel is 16 m (52 ft) longer than the previous class Ramforms, has higher acquisition and transit speed, 25% longer endurance, and 60% greater production capacity.
It features the world's first roll compensated helideck, steerable sources, dual workboat capacity, and gear handling systems. The vessel has a capacity of 22 streamers at 8 km (5 mi) length.
Sevan Driller named in China
SevanDriller, the world's first cylinder-shaped ultra deepwater drilling rig, was named officially on June 28 at Cosco Qidong Shipyard in Jiangsu Province, China.
The vessel is equipped with an internal storage capacity for up to 150,000 bbl of oil and is capable of drilling wells to 40,000 ft (12,192 m) deep in water depths of up to 10,000 ft (3,048 m). The rig will work for Petrobras in the Santos basin off Brazil.
