DUTCH company Huisman has built and sent to Singapore the drill-tower for the Noble Bully II drillship, currently under construction at the Keppel FELS shipyard complex.
Huisman designed and built the drill-tower, the top-drive and service loops of which were installed on the tower and tested prior to shipping.
Also tested prior to load-out were one of the ship’s setback carousels and pipe-rackers.
The 80m drill-tower is scheduled to be installed aboard the Bully II in a single lift shortly after arrival in Singapore. Further testing and commissioning will start soon after the installation.
In addition to the tower, Huisman was responsible for a variety of other major equipment on the ship, including for the handling of drillpipe, casings, marine risers, subsea and surface BOPs (blow-out preventers) and trees, the riser tensioning system, both deck cranes, and both driller’s cabins.
Huisman also developed and made all associated power systems as well as an integrated control system which also controls third party equipment. This equipment was shipped to Singapore earlier.
The Bully drillship is designed to provide a flexible alternative for deepwater drilling and operation in Arctic conditions. Its box-type drill-tower is compact and allows a smaller vessel to carry out the work of a larger conventional drillship.
The concept was initially developed by Shell engineers and is about 25% smaller and 60% lighter than standard drillships of similar capacity.
Shell says it will be more energy efficient and so less polluting, and its special hull is designed to provide extra cargo protection. The Bully will be capable of working in 4,000m (12,000ft) of water and navigate water depths of just about 16m (50ft).