Jaime Kammerzell - Special Correspondent
The global jackup rig fleet has grown significantly from January 2004 to May 2009. The rig count increased from 387 to 440 and is expected to add about 60 more before the year ends. However, 2009 expects to be a challenging year. Some jackups will be without contracts for all or part of the year and others planned for construction will not be built.
Offshore magazine has conducted a survey of the worldwide jackup rig fleet. The survey, inserted in this issue, is limited to rigs with capacity for greater than or equal to 350 ft (107 m) water depth and greater than or equal to 25,000 ft (7,620 m) maximum drilling depth. Thus, not all 440 rigs qualify for the survey.
Transocean leads the 2009 survey with 17 rigs, 14 of them acquired from GlobalSantaFe when the two companies merged in November 2007. Transocean has five rigs working in the North Sea, four off Egypt, three off West Africa, two each off Southeast Asia and Trinidad, and one in the Caspian Sea.
Ensco is well represented in the survey as well, with a total of 14 jackups. However, the company is short a rig.Ensco 74 was lost in 2008 when Hurricane Ike ripped through the Gulf of Mexico. The rig was a MLT Super 116-C in approximately 230 ft (70 m) of water 92 mi (148 km) from shore in South Marsh Island block 149. Other jackups lost in the hurricane include the Pride Wyoming and the Rowan Anchorage, both rated for 250 ft (76 m) of water.
Maersk Drilling has 12 jackups on the survey, including four new rigs. Keppel FELS delivered the third of four high-efficiency jackups to Maersk Drilling in January 2009. The rig is namedMaersk Resolve.
The first rig,Maersk Resilient, was delivered in February 2008 and works for Dubai Petroleum Establishment. The second rig, Maersk Resolute, was delivered in August 2008 and works for Dong Energy in the Danish North Sea for three years. Meanwhile, the fourth and last jackup rig of this fleet was on track for delivery in the second quarter of this year.
Rowan Cos. Inc. recently agreed with PEMEX for theRowan Gorilla IV to start work in the second quarter.
In addition, Rowan was expected to add three new jackups to its fleet, but announced in January that it suspended construction of two jackups and canceled construction of another. Rowan took these dramatic steps to reduce the company’s expenditures through newbuild plan revisions.
Rowan suspended construction of theJoe Douglas, a 240C class jackup, and canceled the construction of another 240C class jackup scheduled for completion in 2011. The company’s LeTourneau Technologies Inc. (LTI) facility in Vicksburg, Mississippi, completed the construction of one similar 240C class jackup rated for 400 ft (122 m) of water in 2008. The Rowan Mississippi is expected to be followed by the Ralph Coffman at the end of this year.
Keppel AmFels Inc. in Brownsville, Texas, is constructing three more jackups for Rowan. The Super 116E class jackups known as Rowan EXLs are rated for 350 ft of water. Rowan expects to take delivery of these rigs in 2010. However, fabrication of a fourth rig, scheduled for completion in 2011, is suspended.
Scorpion Offshore has several newbuilds on the survey. In January, Keppel AmFELS Inc. delivered theOffshore Intrepid, the last of five LeTourneau Super 116 jackup rigs Scorpion commissioned in 2005.
TheOffshore Intrepid started work for Odfjell Drilling Services in the Arabian Gulf in the second quarter of this year. The contract is for 41 months.
The first two units,Offshore Courageous and Offshore Defender, were delivered in 2007. The third and fourth, Offshore Resolute and Offshore Vigilant, were delivered in 2008.
The four identical rigs incorporate a 70 ft (21 m) cantilever, the maximum reach currently available for all but a few harsh environment units. The rigs are capable of working in 350 ft of water as outfitted or in up to 400 ft of water with added leg sections. Its drilling depth is approximately 30,000 ft (9,144 m).
Scorpion also has two LeTourneau Super 116E ultra premium class jackups under construction with Lamprell Energy Ltd. TheOffshore Freedom and Offshore Mischief are under construction at Lamprell’s yard in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The rigs are scheduled for delivery this year.
Scorpion holds options to construct up to three more LeTourneau Super 116E rigs at Lamprell.
Seadrill announced in June 2008 that it entered into agreements with KFELS and PPL Shipyard in Singapore to construct four jackups for delivery in 2010.
The two units to be built at KFELS are based on the KFELS Mod V B design and are rated for up to 400 ft of water and 30,000 ft drilling depth. Deliveries are expected in June and November 2010.
The two units to be built at PPL Shipyard will be based on the Baker Marine Pacific Class 375 Deep Drilling design. They are rated for up to 375 ft (114 m) of water and 30,000 ft (9,144 m) of drilling depth. Deliveries are scheduled for March and November 2010.
Additionally, Seadrill has options for more newbuild jackups in 2011.
The four jackup newbuilds will grow Seadrill’s jackup fleet from eight to 12 units.
Petrobras also has newbuild jackups on order. The Brazilian energy giant has ordered its first two new jackups in 25 years. The LTI Super S116E design jackups will be namedPetrobras 59 and Petrobras 60. They will be built at Sao Roque do Paraguaçu, Bahia, Brazil, by Consorcio Rio Paraguaçu. This consortium is composed by three major Brazilian contractors, Odebrecht, Queiroz Galvao, and UTC. The rigs are intended for operation offshore Brazil.
The self-elevating rigs will be capable of drilling under high pressure/high temperature in water depth to 350 ft with drilling depth of up to 30,000 ft.
The jackups are scheduled for delivery in 2011.
