Offshore staff

LONDON – Ensco plc (NYSE: ESV) has ordered a new ultra-deepwater drillship to be built at the Samsung Heavy Industries Shipyard in South Korea. The vessel, ENSCO DS-9, will be the seventh Samsung DP-3 drillship in the company’s fleet.

Based on the Samsung GF12000 hull design, the ultra-deepwater drillship will be 755 ft (230 m) long and 125 ft (38 m) wide. It will offer a payload in excess of 22,000 metric tons (24,250 tons) and a 1,250-ton (1,134-metric ton) hoisting system.

Like the ENSCO DS-8, the new drillship will include retractable thrusters, enhanced safety and environmental features, improved dynamic positioning capabilities and advanced drilling and completion functionality including below-main-deck riser storage, triple fluid systems, offline conditioning capability, and enhanced client and third-party facilities.

Scheduled for delivery in 4Q 2014, the contract is valued at $645 million.

6/26/2012