Keppel FELS of Singapore has delivered the Maersk Discoverer, the second of three DSS 21 class deepwater semi-submersible drilling rigs, to Maersk Drilling.
Maersk Discoverer starts its career working for Woodside Energy in Australian waters for three years.
This unit is typical of new-generation deepwater semis, being capable of drilling wells to a depth of 10,000m (well over 30,000ft) and operating at a water depth of 3,000m (10,000ft).
The rig also features a dynamic-positioning system and possesses the ability to attach to a pre-laid mooring system.
According to Keppel FELS, like all DSS series rigs, the design is particularly well suited to drill deep and complicated wells in areas such as offshore West Africa, Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and South-east Asia and may be further customised to meet the special challenges of each location.
Claus Hemmingsen, CEO of Maersk Drilling, said at the rig’s commissioning: “Maersk Discoverer, our second DSS 21 rig, is another outstanding example of the winning collaboration between Maersk Drilling and Keppel FELS.
“Optimised for field development work, the new-generation DSS 21 series is derived from the experiences gained from our highly successful DSS 20 Maersk Explorer semi-submersible built in 2003.
“These deepwater units are among the most technically advanced in the world, and we are confident that they will position Maersk Drilling as the foremost provider of robust offshore solutions in the industry.”
The first DSS 21 rig, Maersk Developer, was delivered in June 2008 and is currently in transit to the US Gulf of Mexico where it will embark on a four-year contract with StatoilHydro.
The third sister is scheduled for delivery in Q2 2010.
On the super-drillship front, Discoverer Clear Leader, newly built to Chevron’s specifications, has begun work in the US Gulf of Mexico under a five-year contract with Transocean.
This unit is capable of drilling wells in 3,650m (12,000ft) of water to a total depth of 12,200m (40,000ft), apparently surpassing the limits of prior technology.
A key aspect of this ship is its Transocean-patented dual-activity drilling technology designed to enable parallel drilling operations from a single derrick, saving time and money in deepwater well construction compared with conventional rigs.
“The Discoverer Clear Leader offers the most advanced drilling capabilities in the offshore drilling industry and will enable Chevron to expand the search for new domestic sources of energy,” George Kirkland, VP upstream oil&gas at Chevron, said in a statement.
The new vessel is destined to work on a variety of projects, including the Tahiti development and ultra-deep Jack/St Malo discoveries.
It is the first of two new drillships to be commissioned for Chevron. The second vessel, the Discoverer Inspiration, is expected to be ready early next year.
Finally, in this shorter-than-usual round-up, Transocean’s also new-build ultra-deepwater drillship, Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1, has started work offshore India under a five-year drilling contract with Reliance Industries.
Transocean expects to see Reliance sub-letting the vessel for the first four years of the contract to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), and that Reliance will operate the rig for the fifth year of the contract.
The Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1 is the first of two ultra-deepwater new-build drillships owned by a joint-venture company with Pacific Drilling and scheduled to be commissioned in 2009-10. The second ultra-deepwater new-build drillship, Dhirubhai Deepwater KG2, is also contracted and should start operations next year.
Dhirubhai Deepwater KG1 features National Oilwell Varco drilling packages, which include advanced offshore drilling technology, with significant off-line tubular-handling and stand-building capabilities, advanced mud system designs, advanced systems for building, storing and running several subsea trees, and efficient riser and BOP (blowout preventer) handling systems.
This vessel has a variable deckload of approximately 20,000 tonnes, is equipped to work in water depths to 3,000m (10,000ft) and can drill wells to 10,668m (35,000ft).