Floatel International has secured a maiden contract forFloatel Superior, the first of its newbuild accommodation rigs, to support a three-month maintenance turnaround on ConocoPhillips Bayu-Undan field in the Timor Sea.
As the assignment is due to start early next April, the Gothenburg-based contractor has negotiated a variation order in the construction contract with the Keppel FELS shipyard to bring delivery forward by 40 days to March 20, 2010. Progress at the yard has been consistently ahead of schedule, says Floatel International’s CEO Peter Jacobsson.
Sea trials and thruster installation are scheduled in early 2010. Once delivered, the rig will make its way to Bayu-Undan, a journey of around 12-14 days, under its own propulsion. At the client’s direction it will maintain station using its DP-3 dynamic-positioning system.
According to Jacobsson, preparation of procedures for the rig, including the documentation for the safety case, is under way, and recruitment has started of the 27-30 crew members required. For the Bayu-Undan project, an additional 72 beds will be installed on the rig, which is fitted with 440 single cabins, providing accommodation for a total of 512 personnel.
Construction of the company’s second accommodation rig,Floatel Reliance, is on schedule for delivery in December 2010. Assembly in the dry dock is due to start in early October when the pontoons and column sections are delivered by Keppel FELS.
Market prospects for the new rigs look encouraging, according to Jacobsson. Against a background of 100% utilization of existing units, Floatel International is receiving plenty of enquiries from potential customers. “We’re confident that we’ll continue to build a solid backlog for both rigs,” he says.
Floatel Superior is designed to meet Norwegian requirements, thus enabling it to work anywhere in the world. It is the first accommodation rig to be purpose-built to this standard for more than 20 years. In addition to DP-3, it also will be fitted with an eight-point mooring system, allowing customers to decide which is the more cost-effective form of station-keeping for their application.
Floatel Reliance is intended for use worldwide except for the harsher parts of the North Sea. It has a DP-2 system for station-keeping, and a two-leg system for emergency and inshore mooring. Accommodation capacity is 500.
For more information contact Peter Jacobsson, Floatel International Management. Tel +46 31 352 0700, fax +46 31 352 0701,[email protected], www.floatel.se
