Keppel delivers eighth rig of the year safely and on time

Keppel FELS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), has delivered ARABDRILL 70, a KFELS B Class jackup rig, to Arabian Drilling Company (ADC). The rig was completed three days ahead of schedule, on budget, and with a perfect safety record. ARABDRILL 70 is the fourth KFELS B Class jackup rig to work for ADC.

Keppel FELS had previously delivered two jackup rigs, ARABDRILL 50 and ARABDRILL 60, in June 2013 and December 2013 respectively. These jackups have since been operating successfully for ADC and their charterer, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil company. ADC also acquired ARABDRILL 30 in 2009. In addition to these rigs, Keppel FELS built a KFELS Super B Class rig, SAR 202, directly for Saudi Aramco in 2012.

Mr Wong Kok Seng, Managing Director of Keppel O&M (Offshore) and Keppel FELS, said, "We build long-standing partnerships with our quality customers which enable us to understand their needs and deliver projects that are well-received in the market, efficiently and safely each time. We are proud that our proprietary KFELS B Class design has served ADC well and remains in strong demand even in the current low oil price environment. This is our eighth delivery this year, and we continue to focus on executing our projects well, ensuring on-time and on-budget deliveries. Besides newbuild rigs, we are also actively engaged in repair and modification projects for our customers. By the end of this year, Keppel FELS would have completed 17 repair projects."

Mr Ali Hamid Al-Ghamdi, Managing Director (Administration) of Arabian Drilling Company, added, "We are pleased to receive another high-quality rig from Keppel FELS, which will bring our offshore fleet to 8 units, placing ADC in a favourable position to contribute to the growth of the oil industry in the region. The first three rigs have been performing exceptionally well and we are confident that ARABDRILL 70 will perform just as well, if not better. The relationship between ADC and Keppel has been very successful and we look forward to building on that success in the future."

ARABDRILL 70 is the 61st KFELS B Class rig delivered since 2000. The KFELS B Class design has a market share of about a quarter of all jackup rigs delivered in the last 15 years. The innovative and cost-effective KFELS B Class jackup rig has proven to be the trusted workhorse of the industry and has performed excellently in major offshore exploration and development programmes in various locations worldwide. It has been employed by some 20 international drilling operators in over 15 countries.

Developed by Keppel's technology arm, Offshore Technology Development (OTD), the KFELS B Class jackup design is able to operate in water depths of up to 400 feet and drill to depths of 30,000 feet. It incorporates Keppel's advanced and fully-automated high capacity rack and pinion jacking system, and self-positioning Fixation System. Designed with industry-leading features for safety and environmental friendliness, the KFELS B Class provides maximum uptime with reduced emissions and discharges.

Keppel FELS is a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), a wholly-owned company of Keppel Corporation Limited. Keppel FELS is a leading designer, builder, and repairer of high-performance mobile offshore rigs. Its portfolio of proprietary designs and floating production solutions meets a broad spectrum of operating requirements, including deep waters and harsh environments.

As a group, Keppel O&M is also a leader in ship repair and conversion, and specialised shipbuilding. Its near-market, near-customer strategy is bolstered by a global network of 20 yards and offices in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East, and North Sea regions. Integrating the experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, the group aims to be the provider of choice and partner for solutions for the offshore and marine industry.

Established in 1964, the Arabian Drilling Company (ADC) is a Limited Liability partnership between the Industrialization & Energy Services Company (TAQA) which owns 51%, a Saudi Government Oilfield Services Company, and Services Petroniers Schlumberger S.A., a global leader in oilfield services which owns the remaining 49%.

ADC has operated onshore and offshore drilling rigs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Partitioned Zone with Kuwait, and in the past in Yemen and the UAE. Drilling services are backed by 50 years of operational experience and a history of innovation that has brought tremendous safety and efficiency gains to the drilling process.

ADC started operation in 1964 with one drilling rig and now operates 23 drilling rigs, both on land and offshore. The offshore units include ultra heavy-duty jack-ups outfitted with high specification equipment and capable of drilling in 400 ft of water. ADC also owns and operates two self-propelled Multi-Purpose Service Vessels (MPSVs) providing well intervention and well testing services. The onshore fleet ranges from medium to ultra-heavy rigs, capable of handling the most challenging drilling programs and designed to work in harsh climatic conditions supported by highly qualified and experienced staff. Currently, their major clients include Saudi Aramco and Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO).

This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 37  No.6  Issue last December 31,2015.