Offshore staff
LIMASSOL, Cyprus – Songa Offshore has issued an update on the construction of its newbuild Cat D drilling rigs for Statoil in South Korea.
Petroleum Safety Authority Norway received the Acknowledgement of Compliance forSonga Equinoxin March. The rig has since completed sea trials, and sponsons, and blisters have been installed, as an inclination test indicated a heavier than expected light unit weight.
The rig is scheduled to start its transit in wet-tow mode to Norway in mid-June, with remaining third-party equipment installed during the voyage and prior to arrival in Norway.
It should be followed in August bySonga Endurance, once it has completed sea trials and installation of sponsons and blisters. The other two rigs, Songa Encourage and Songa Enabler, should leave the yard respectively at end-September and end-November.
The Cat D "ready-to-drill" cost estimate remains in line with Songa Offshore’s previous estimate of $685 million per rig.
Crewing for all four rigs continues. The market for qualified personnel in Norway is strong, the contractor says, with significant interest for employment from qualified people.
Songa Offshore stresses that the yard’s program has experienced significant delays and cost overruns. It plans to oppose any attempt to recover these overruns.
In the North Sea, the competition for the few drilling tenders available remains fierce, the contractor adds. It expects more rigs to leave the Norwegian continental shelf.
05/29/2015
