AMFELS Delivers Two New Build Workover Barges to Maersk Drilling Ahead of Schedule
AMFELS, Inc, the wholly-owned American subsidiary of Far East Levingston Shipbuilding Limited (FELS), has delivered a workover barge Maersk Rig 62 in January 1995, 6 days ahead of the contractual delivery date. The barge is the second of two newbuildings commissioned by Danish oil drilling group Maersk Drilling.
The contract required AMFELS to provide basic and detailed engineering designs, construct and equip two workover barges to the specific requirements of owner-operator Maersk Drilling, part of the A P Moller Group, as well as Venezuelan oil company, Lagoven S A.
The first barge, Maersk Rig 61, was delivered in December 1994, 13 days before the contractual delivery date. The barges will be moored on location in the protected waters of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela and will be classed under the special survey of American Bureau of Shipping + A1 cantilevered drilling barge.
Said Y Y Chow President of AMFELS, "In Maersk Rigs 61 and 62, AMFELS has made significant advances in design, particularly in the ease of fabrication and operation of the barges as well as the improved safety and pollution control features.
"The design can also be upgraded for the construction of full drilling barges which would require more sophisticated drilling and marine equipment."
The contract, signed in May 1994, was awarded following the successful completion of conversion work on inland drill barges Maersk Rig 52 and Maersk Rig 12 in 1994 and the previous APMC Rig 11 and Rig 14 in 1990 which were also delivered ahead of time.
