VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS
David Paganie • Houston
Transocean drillship assigned to Black SeaExxonMobil Exploration and Production Turkey will use Transocean's new drillshipDeepwater Champion, for its deepwater exploration program in the Turkish sector of the Black Sea.
The sixth-generation drillship is under construction at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, but should be ready to drill its first well in the Turkish Black Sea in the first half of 2011. It will be able to drill to subsurface depths of 12,190 m (40,000 ft), in up to 3,660 m (12,000 ft) of water.
The vessel's drilling derrick contains two drilling stations equipped for simultaneous operations. The derrick has two removable sections to assist transit under the bridges spanning the Bosphorus Strait at Istanbul. The double-hulled vessel is self-propelled and is designed to maintain station in open water in 9-m (30-ft) waves and 60-knot (70-mph) winds.
In November 2008, ExxonMobil and Turkish national oil company TPAO agreed to jointly explore Black Sea deepwater prospects in the Samsun block of the AR/TPO/3922 exploration license and the eastern portion of AR/TPO/3921 exploration license. This past January, ExxonMobil also signed an accord with TPAO and Petrobras to acquire a 25% interest in the Sinop, Ayancik, and Carsamba sub-blocks of the AR/TPO/3922 license.
COSCO wins Sevan Brasil build contractCOSCO (Nantong) Shipyard Co. Ltd. has won a $500-million engineering, procurement, construction, and installation contract for a deepwater DP-3 semisubmersible drilling rig to be named Sevan Brasil.
Block fabrication for the rig is under way. The new rig is based on the design of the Sevan Driller and is scheduled for delivery toSevan Drilling Ptd Ltd. in 1Q 2012.
COSCO Shipyard Group says this award makes it the first shipbuilder in China to have secured a full EPCI contract to construct a deepwater DP-3 semi drilling rig.
Jurong Shipyard contracted for Roncador floaterJurong Shipyard has won a S$130-million ($93-million) order from Petrobras Netherlands for pre-conversion of a VLCC to the FPSO P62.
The scope of work involves renewal of the hull structure steel; fabrication and installation of new steel work; blasting and painting works; renovation, fabrication, and installation of piping; and refurbishment of the accommodation module. The vessel is due to be completed in 2Q 2011.
P62 is part of the fourth phase of the Roncador field development. It will be installed in 1,600 m (5,249 ft) of water. The FPSO will be equipped to process more than 180,000 b/d of oil, inject over 250,000 b/d of water, produce 6 MMcm (212 cf) of gas, and store over 1.6 MMbbl of oil. It is designed to remain on station for up to 25 years without drydocking.
Keppel scores FPSO conversion workBumi Armada Berhad has contracted Keppel Shipyard to upgrade and convert a Suezmax tanker into an FPSO.
Keppel's scope of work includes refurbishment and life extension works; fabrication and installation of accommodation blocks, turret support structure and topside modules; upgrading of auxiliary support systems; and installation of owner supplied equipment.
When completed in 2Q 2011, the FPSO will have capacity to process 45,000 b/d of oil and to store 1 MMbbl of oil. The Hoang Long Joint Operating Co., comprising Petrovietnam, Soco International, PTTEP, and OPECO, will deploy the converted FPSO on the Te Giac Trang field in the Cuu Long basin offshore Vietnam.
Keppel also picked up a contract from Single Buoy Moorings to convert the VLCC M/T Bauhinia into an FPSO for the block I field offshore Equatorial Guinea.
Keppel's scope of work includes refurbishment and life extension work; accommodation block extensions; fabrication and installation of a flare tower, an internal turret, and topside module supports; and installation and integration of topside modules.
The work is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year and is scheduled for completion in 3Q 2011.
SBM Atlantia set to deliver three semisSBM Offshore has updated progress on three new DP semisubmersible drilling rigs, all under construction in Abu Dhabi.
All are TDS2000Plus or TDS2500 designs, ordered in late 2006 and early 2007. They are capable of operating in water depths from 2,000-2,400 m (6,562-7,874 ft), and drilling to 7,500 m (24,606 ft) sub-surface. SBM Atlantia in Houston is managing each of the programs under an engineering, procurement, and construction contract.
Construction of the Lone Star TDS2000Plus rig for Queiroz Galvao Perfuracoes (QGP) has been completed, with commissioning starting late last year. The rig was to undergo sea trials and handover to QGP offshore Abu Dhabi.
The Norbe VI TDS2000Plus rig was still under construction, with commissioning start imminent. Sea trials and handover to client Odebrecht should follow this summer.
Delba III is a TDS2500 design ordered by Delba Drilling International Cooperative. SBM says the rig was floated out of dry dock towards the end of last year, and equipment installation was well advanced. The sea trials and handover to Delba should take place off Abu Dhabi late this year.
McDermott adds new pipelay vesselJ. Ray McDermott has added shallow-water capacity to its construction fleet with the new pipelay vessel, LB32.
The vessel, designed to S-lay pipe of up to 60 in. (152 cm) diameter, is equipped with pipe tensioning of up 120 metric tons (132 tons), both rigid and buoyant stingers to enable it to work in water depths from 2.5 to 300 m (8.2 to 984 ft), and the company's Automatic Welding System.
At presstime, LB32 was being completed by Kim Heng Shipbuilding & Engineering Pte Ltd. shipyard in Singapore for a mid-March delivery. The vessel then was to mobilize to the Middle East for final outfitting before beginning a project in the Gulf.
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