‘Prospector 5’ rig arrives in Cromarty Firth

A giant heavy-lift and transportation ship has arrived in the Cromarty Firth, Scotland, carrying the jack-up drilling rig Prospector 5.

According to MarineTraffic website, which monitors real-time ship locations, port arrivals and departures, the Black Marlin has today arrived in Cromarty Firth where it is now anchored, approximately 5 miles to the east of Invergordon.

Following a two-month journey from China, where the Prospector 5 rig was built, the 217.5 meters long ‘Black Marlin’ semi-submersible transportation vessel, owned by Dockwise, will unload the rig near Invergordon.

The Black Marlin vessel last week stopped in the Falmouth bay for refuelling. The vessel carrying the rig is seen below:

The Rig

The Prospector 5, of the F&G JU 2000E design, is owned by Prospector Offshore. It was built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (SWS) shipyard in Shanghai China.

Capable of operations in water depths up to 400 ft, the Prospector 5, is the second rig delivered to Prospector Offshore.

The first, Prospector 1, was delivered to the owner in September last year. It was built in China, but in a different shipyard, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Offshore Co., Ltd. (DSIC Offshore).

Both rigs, equipped to drill wells in high pressure/high temperature environments up to 35,000 feet,  have been hired by Total, a France-based oil company, for drilling operations in the UK North Sea.

The Prospector 5 will now undergo its acceptance process before moving to Total’s Elgin location to start its three year charter contract at $218,000 per day.

Prospector Offshore Drilling, the owner of the rig, expects the rig will begin its contracted work for Total in mid-September.