WHILE most new drilling tonnage is built in East Asia, the US continues to build, too. The first of four $200million Rowan EXL Super 116E jack-up drilling rigs has just kissed the water for the first time at the Keppel AmFELS Yard in Brownsville, Texas.
This latest Rowan rig will be capable of operating in water depths to 107m (350ft) and of drilling to a total depth of 10,668m (35,000ft).
The EXL (enhanced LeTourneau Super 116E) class will be kitted out with the latest technology to drill high-pressure/high-temperature and extended-reach wells in jack-up markets throughout the world and will be equipped with a hook-load capacity of 2million pounds, have a 21m (70ft) of cantilever reach, 145m (477ft) of leg length, and the mud pumping horsepower to drill up to 10,668m (35,000ft).
Rowan says its first three EXL rigs remain on schedule and on budget, with deliveries scheduled for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2010, respectively, with the fourth rig scheduled for Q1 2012.
Construction also continues on schedule and on budget for Rowan’s second and third 240C class jack-up rigs, the Ralph Coffman and the Joe Douglas, with delivery scheduled for Q1 2010 and the Q3 2011, respectively.
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