Keppel FELS has reported that it is set to deliver the seventh semisubmersible drilling rig in the ultra-deepwater Ensco 8500 Series to Ensco on time, and within budget.
The heritage American but now London-headquartered drilling contractor is currently investing $billions with the Singapore yard as it aggressively grows its fleet of offshore mobiles.
A naming ceremony for the rig was held at Keppel FELS on June 16 and once completed and accepted by client Ensco, the Ensco 8506 will go to work for Anadarko Petroleum in the US Gulf of Mexico during Q4 this year.
Daniel W. Rabun, Ensco’s chairman, president, and CEO, said of the imminent completion: “We are very pleased to receive our seventh Ensco 8500 Series rig. The earlier rigs delivered have proven to be a success whether deployed in Asia, North America, or South America. This has been reaffirmed by our repeat customers. Ensco 8506 is the third rig from the series contracted by Anadarko.
“In partnering with Keppel to build all seven rigs, we have been able to deliver to our customers high quality rigs on time and within budget. Keppel has been an excellent partner in delivering maximum value for us on the standardisation of the seven rigs.
“We are applying the same principles to the three high-specification KFELS Super A Class jack-up rigs that they are currently building for us.”
Tong Chong Heong, CEO of Keppel Offshore & Marine, said at the naming event: “Ensco 8506 is our 16th new-build rig for Ensco and we are glad to be able to support the growth of their rig fleet by providing value-added and cost-effective solutions to meet their needs.
“We have established a track record with Ensco that has seen them entrust us with 19 major new-build projects worth more than $4.8billion. We are currently constructing three ultra-premium harsh environment jack-up rigs for Ensco modelled after our proprietary KFELS Super A Class design. We are committed to delivering them to the highest satisfaction of Ensco.”
The proprietary ENSCO 8500 Series design is capable of drilling in water depths to 2,591m (8,500ft) of water, and can be upgraded to cope with 3,000m nominal (10,000ft),
The class is capable of drilling wells to 10,668m (35,000ft) nominal drilling depth and all units are equipped with a six-ram blowout preventer and 2million pounds hoisting capacity.
They are capable of carrying a variable deck load of up to 8,000 tonnes and possess an “open layout” well suited for subsea completion activities. Improved visibility from the open deck configuration is also said to enhance safety.
Apart from the three KFELS Super A Class jack-up rigs, Ensco currently has a drillship, Ensco DS-6, which is being modified at Keppel FELS.
The three jack-ups under construction, Ensco 120, Ensco 121, and Ensco 122, are intended to provide increased drilling efficiencies for multi-well platform programmes, ultra-deep gas drilling, and ultra-long reach wells of up to 12,192m (40,000ft) drilling depth.
The first jack-up scheduled to be delivered, Ensco 120, is already contracted for work in the Central North Sea with Nexen.
The $120million contract is initially to drill 10 wells for the company’s Golden Eagle development. The rig is due for delivery in Q2 2013 and to begin work in Q4. There are an additional 11 one-well options associated with the contract.