CIMC Raffles begins construction of Frigstad Deepwater rig

China’s rig builder CIMC Raffles has started construction of a second seven-generation ultra-deepwater submersible drilling rig for Frigstad Deepwater.

The steel cutting ceremony was held this morning in the company’s Haiyang production base. Harald Frigstad, the President of Frigstad and Yu Ya, President of CIMC Raffles started the steel cutting machine together.

Harald Frigstad said: “Now we are back in CIMC Haiyang yard to witness the steel cutting of Frigstad Deepwater rig ‘Beta’. This is the 2nd Frigstad Deepwater rig under construction, and the 3rd Frigstad D90 rig to be built by CIMC Raffles Yard. We are well underway with the 1st Frigstad Deepwater Ltd rig construction, the rig ‘Alpha’. We have also started the marketing of these Frigstad Deepwater Ltd rigs, and we have had a very positive feedback from the market on the technical and operational capabilities of these rigs. China has now established itself as one of the major rig building players in the world, and is in our opinion on the way to become the leading rig builder also in the top end of the rig segment, which is the top end of Ultra Deepwater (UDW) Rig segment where D90 is placed, namely the 7th. Generation rig class.”

Related: Frigstad Orders Two Rigs from CIMC Raffles (China)

The 7^th generation drilling unit ordered by Frigstad Deepwater is of the Frigstad D90™ design, developed by Frigstad Engineering and tailor made for safe and efficient exploration and development drilling in ultra-deep waters. The rig will be capable of operating in water depths up to 12,000 feet and drilling to a total depth of 60,000 feet. The unit will be outfitted with a DP3 dynamic positioning system, full dual activity hydraulic drilling package with 2 x 1,400 sT hoisting capacity and 2 x seven ram BOPs.

The rig is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2016.