Semco Maritime has won a deal to upgrade Seadrill’s West Elara jackup, to prepare the rig for an upcoming ConocoPhillips job in 2018.
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The West Elara, from Seadrill. |
Following upgrade, the rig will sail out to undertake a long-term contract in the North Sea for ConocoPhillips, starting up in 2018. West Elara, owned by North Atlantic Drilling, will call at the Semco Maritime rig yard at Hanøytangen, Bergen, at the end of the year after expiry of current contract with Statoil.
“This is a major and important order for Semco Maritime and the largest assignment for our yard in Hanøytangen so far,” says Senior Vice President Lars Skov, Semco Maritime Rig Projects. “The order also confirms the increased activity in the market of rig upgrades, which we have seen in 2H 2017. The signs are positive and give rise to cautious optimism in a continually challenged market.”
Specialist team ready for rig arrival West Elara is currently operating in the North Sea and will finish the assignment in November at the earliest. A rig specialists team will then start the modification work at Hanøytangen.
“A team of 10 people are currently projecting and planning the assignment. In addition, we expect to employ a good 150 people for the actual work of upgrading and adapting the rig to the specific drilling job for ConocoPhillips,” saysVice President Nikolaj Vejlgaard, Semco Maritime Rig Projects Project Management.
West Elara is hired on a long-term contract for the Ekofisk field. The modern rig accommodates 120 people and was built in Singapore in 2011. The rig is designed for operation in areas with hard weather and water depths up to 150m.
The Semco Maritime yard at Hanøytangen includes several dock areas, among these a 125mx125m dry dock and fully equipped quay areas with water depths from 17-100m.
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