Adriatic X gets upgrade
GlobalSantaFe's Adriatic X.
GlobalSantaFe will spend about $24 million to upgrade the Adriatic X as part of its overall 2002 rig enhancement program. The capital investment increases the overall capability of the rig, allowing it to drill to greater depth. Major upgrades to the rig include new engines, the addition of a third mud pump, increased mud tank capacity, and a larger derrick. The rig was scheduled to go into the Sabine Pass shipyard in May, following the completion of its contract with BP in the Gulf of Mexico. Upgrades are expected to take three months.
Mærsk newbuild to work for TFE
TotalFinaElf issued a letter of intent (LOI) to take one of Mærsk's newbuild heavy-duty jackups for a work program offshore Norway. The LOI covers three months of plug and abandonment activity on the Frigg DP-2 platform in 330-ft water depth. It also covers drilling on the Skirne and Byggve fields, provided drilling is approved.
The second of Mærsk's new heavy-duty jackups is scheduled for delivery to the North Sea next May.
Supply vessel fleet to expand
Hornbeck-Leevac Marine Services Inc. has announced the approval of a new vessel construction program for its subsidiary Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC. The program provides for the construction of eight deepwater offshore supply vessels (OSVs), including four 240-ft DP-2 Class vessels. The company expects to take delivery of four of the OSVs by the end of 2003, with the first vessel due for delivery in June.
Hornbeck operates a fleet of 10 recently constructed deepwater offshore supply vessels. Three more are under construction and scheduled to be delivered by August.
Special tanker for Alaska
Phillips Petroleum Co. subsidiary Polar Tankers Inc. has unveiled its third state-of-the-art Endeavour Class double-hulled tanker. The Polar Discovery was christened in April at the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Avondale shipyard in New Orleans. The Endeavour Class crude oil tankers are the first to be built specifically for the Alaskan trade in compliance with the Federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The ship is designed to transport oil from Valdez, Alaska, to the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii.
The Polar Discovery is specially designed to transport oil from Alaska.
The vessel has two independent engine rooms, twin propellers and twin rudders, and a double hull that exceeds regulatory requirements. The Polar Discovery holds just over 1 MMbbl of cargo at maximum capacity.
The $168-million vessel will be delivered early next year.
New FPSO for Su Tu Den
Japan's Modec is waiting for the official go-ahead after winning the $200-million contract for a newbuild floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel for the Su Tu Den (Black Lion) oil field offshore Vietnam.
The newbuild vessel will have a 1 MMbbl storage capacity and is due to be completed late next year in time for predicted first oil from Su Tu Den in 4Q of 2003. The field covers 4,600 sq km in Block 15-1, 180 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. The project is targeting between 200 MMbbl and 400 MMbbl of oil. Once infrastructure is in place, additional output will come from the Su Tu Vang Field on the same block.
Conoco is a 23.25% holder in the joint venture with Korea National Oil Corp.-SK Corp. holding 23.35%, PetroVietnam 50%, and Geopetrol 3.5%.
Noble buys two Transocean semis
Early in 2Q 2002, Noble announced it would purchase two semisubmersible rigs from Transocean. With the transaction finalized, Noble plans to upgrade the Transocean 96 and Transocean 97 to make them suitable for deepwater work. The semis, last upgraded in 1997, are both pentagon design rigs capable of operating in 2,350-ft water depth. Plans call for an investment between $25 million and $35 million per unit for refurbishments and upgrades.
Correction
This artist's concept shows an update to the Kizomba Field development schematic. It shows the FPSO planned for the development of this prospect. The photo, which ran in the March issue of Offshore, was incorrect.
