Kenz Cranes’ equipment on ‘West Rigel’

West Rigel, a harsh-environment semi-submersible drilling rig, currently under construction in Singapore, will feature two Dutch-designed boom hoist cranes.

According to Kenz Cranes, a Dutch company specializing in offshore lifting and hoisting solutions, the two EHC 100/4000 cranes were designed in the Netherlands according to the highest Norwegian standards DNV 2.22/Norsok R002 and EN13852-1.

Kenz says that the cranes are designed with a strong focus on low and easy maintenance, safety and reliability which were facilitated by, among others, the usage of redundant load cells, -power packs, cameras.  Both cranes have been manufactured and fully function/load tested at the production facility in Zaandam, the Netherlands.

All crane modules have been specially designed to fit on 40 foot flatbeds which is a big advantage for global transportation. Due to the fact the crane modules are containerized, all global ports can be reached easily, Kenz explains.

The two West Rigel Kenz cranes have been assembled at Jurong Shipyard where they have been installed and load tested on the rig under supervision of DNV.

West Rigel

As for the West Rigel, Seadrill’s fleet status report reveals that the rig is scheduled for delivery for the second quarter of 2015, due to additional equipment being added for winterisation. The report says that the rig is expected to work for the Russian oil giant Rosneft starting August 2015, until August 2020.

However, due to the Western sanctions imposed against Russia, it is unclear if the contract will materialize. Under the mutual agreement, the contract can be terminated by either Seadrill or Rosneft before the end of May 2015.

Offshore Energy Today Staff