Aqualis to oversee first journey of ‘world’s largest’ jack-up rig

Marine and offshore engineering consultancy Aqualis Offshore has been contracted by Noble Corporation to oversee the load-on, transportation and load-off operations of the first journey of the ‘world’s largest’ jack-up rig, the Noble Lloyd Noble.

Aqualis Offshore said on Monday that its scope of work includes providing marine warranty services for the load-on, transportation and load-off operation of the giant jack-up. The company did not disclose the value of the contract.

Aqualis Offshore will ride with the ship for the first leg of the journey from Singapore to Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The rig’s ultimate destination is Statoil’s Mariner field development in the UK sector of the North Sea where it will operate under a four-year charter arrangement.

Noble Lloyd Noble is, according to its builder Sembcorp Marine, the world’s largest jack-up rig. The rig was delivered to the owner Noble Corp. in July 2016. It is based on the GustoMSC CJ70 design as well as Statoil’s ‘Category J’ specifications.

The rig has an operational air gap of 69 meters and is capable of operating in a water depth of up to 150 meters (500 feet) in harsh environmental conditions. It boasts a maximum total drilling depth capacity of 10,000 meters (approximately 33,000 feet).