Middle East Rigs/Vessels News

Fabricator Lamprell warns that its performance will be affected by delays in specialist vendor equipment deliveries for newbuild jackup projects.

Cemre Shipyard has delivered its 20th platform supply vessel, Vestland Mira, to Norwegian contractor Havyard Group, on behalf of Vestland Offshore.

Topaz Energy and Marine has completed construction of two anchor handling/offshore support/towing vessels for BP.

Saipem has contracted Fairstar Heavy Transport to provide floatover and installation services for a platform offshore Iraq.

Harris Pye has completed a comprehensive refit and refurbishment of the Diamond Offshore Drilling drillship Ocean Clipper.

Lamprell has won orders from various clients this year for jackup rig upgrades and refurbishment, with a total value around $62 million.

Millennium Offshore Services has added a jackup accommodation unit to its fleet and also has expanded operations into the Asia/Pacific region.

Renaissance Services has updated its strategy for the offshore support vessel (OSV) sector.

Gulf Drilling Inc. of Qatar has ordered from PPL Shipyard Pte Ltd a newbuild Pacific Class 400 jackup drilling rig for delivery next March.

Gulf Drilling International (GDI) has ordered a Pacific Class 400 jackup from PPL Shipyard in Singapore for delivery in March 2013.

Saipem has signed an extension of its contract with Petrobel for the charter of the jackup Perro Negro 4 offshore Egypt.

Abu Dhabi Ship Building has expanded its facility in Mussafah to accommodate maintenance, repairs, and overhauling services.

Drydocks World will build the turret for Shell’s (RDS.A:NYSE) Prelude floating LNG project offshore Western Australia.

Saudi Aramco has contracted Seadrill’s jackup West Callisto for duty offshore Saudi Arabia.

Sembcorp Marine subsidiary PPL Shipyard has a $213-million contract to build a Pacific Class 400 jackup which will operate in the Middle East.

Grandweld Shipyards has delivered a new dive and maintenance support vessel to Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.

The drilling rig Homer Ferrington has arrived at the Leviathan 1 well site in the Rachel license in the deepwater Levantine basin.

The FPSO for Ithaca Energy’s Athena oil field development in the UK central North Sea is in the final phase of conversion at Dubai Dry Dock World.

Oceanic Marine Contractors (OMC) has taken delivery of the new offshore construction vessel Oceanic 5000.

North Drilling Company’s offshore rig Sahar 1 has entered Iranian waters and is currently moored at Kish Island.

Accommodation specialist HB Rentals has been awarded three contracts in the UAE, following the opening of its first Middle East base in the region last year.

Topaz Energy and Marine, a subsidiary of Renaissance Services, has secured a $380 million financing initiative, led by Standard Chartered Bank and DVB Bank.

National Drilling Company (NDC) of Abu Dhabi has exercised options with fabricator Lamprell for two jackups, both of which will be built in Hamriyah.

Following the Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico and the subsequent new regulations in both the US and international arenas, the oil and gas industry has responded with a full spectrum of new equipment and capabilities for handling offshore spills or blowouts. A number of new well control/well containment groups have been formed, and they have been busy advancing their plans, technologies and services for the consideration of offshore operators and developers. Some of the key groups are described below.