Polar Star SSFDR Naming Ceremony Held in South Korea

On December, 3 in South Korea a solemn name-giving ceremony was held for the first semi-submersible floating drilling rig constructed within the frames of Shtokman gas-condensate field development according to the contract signed in 2007 between Gazflot LLC and Vyborg Shipyard JSC for engineering and construction of semi-submersible drilling rigs.

The President of Samsung Heavy Industries I. S Roh opened the solemn name-giving ceremony. In his ceremonial speech he expressed gratitude to management of Gazflot LLC and Vyborg Shipyard JSC for possibility to take participation in construction of the first class drilling rig, since it represents a splendid result of professional collaborative work between Gazflot, Vyborg Shipyard JSC and Samsung Heavy Industries.

Further the floor was given to General Director of Gazflot LLC Yury Shamalov who called collaboration of the Russian and Korean companies in SSFDR construction a vivid example of mutually advantageous cooperation of two countries within the frames of recently signed governmental agreements on cooperation between the Russian Federation and South Korea. Also Yury Shamalov pointed out that despite doubts of competitors the semi-submersible drilling rig has been constructed within the schedule and is ready to be operated on the Russian Federation shelf.

General Director of Vyborg Shipyard JSC Valery Levchenko continued congratulations. He reminded the attendees that many events have happened during construction period: SSFDR Lower Hull has been fabricated in Vyborg whereas Topside has been built in South Korea under projects provided by the company Moss Maritime; and the most complicated operation on transportation of Lower Hull from Vyborg and its integration with Topside in Korea has been performed. Valery Grigorievich also pointed out that only by joint efforts of many specialists it was possible to complete construction of SSFDR with required workmanship and within the terms specified by the Contract, and only by joint efforts it was possible to build the VIth generation drilling rig in the period less than three years. During this period people of different nationalities, with different traditions and mentality could achieve a positive result – construction of the semi-submersible drilling rig. At the end he thanked all the participants of SSFDR construction and wished successful and long operation of this rig to Gazflot.

The SSFDR christening ceremony was held by a priest of Spaso-Preobrazhenskiy Cathedral Gennady Ponomarev.

The godmother of the rig was Galina Shamalova who gave the SSFDR a name “Polar Star”. According to established sea traditions the champagne bottle was broken against the drilling rig hull. Upon completion of the official part the attendees were invited to a solemn lunch.

[mappress]

Source: Vyborg Shipyard , December 8, 2010;