Singapore: Seadrill Takes Delivery of Sixth KFELS B Class Jackup Rig

Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS) has delivered the KFELS B Class jackup rig, West Juno, to Seadrill Jack-ups Limited (Seadrill) on time, within budget and with a perfect safety record.

Mr Wong Kok Seng, Executive Director of Keppel FELS, said, “We are proud to have maintained an outstanding track record of quality deliveries to Seadrill over 17 years of close collaboration and 16 state-of-the-art offshore drilling units.

“We are glad that our win-win partnership has endowed Seadrill with one of the most modern fleets in the industry today, boosted by many Keppel-designed and built rigs.”

Mr Ian Shearer, Senior Vice President, Jack-ups Asia Pacific and Middle East, of Seadrill said, “Seadrill has constructed and deployed many Keppel jackup rigs over the years. Operating these advanced rigs is almost second nature to our crews who have become highly accustomed to the unique features of the KFELS B Class.

“Be it jackups or tenders, the Keppel rigs in our fleet have all established excellent performance records with our customers from the first day of operation. Seadrill has worked with Keppel FELS to further enhance the drilling specification and off-line pipe handling features of the rig and we are confident West Juno will perform commendably for our customers. We are pleased to complement our premium fleet with West Juno.”

Developed by Keppel’s Offshore Technology Development unit, OTD, the KFELS B Class design provides maximum uptime with reduced emissions and discharges. For its environmental-friendly features, the KFELS B Class design was bestowed the Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award from Institution of Engineers Singapore in 2009.

Including West Juno, Keppel-built rigs in Seadrill’s current fleet include 10 jackup rigs and six KFELS semisubmersible drilling tenders (SSDT). One other SSDT is currently under construction. West Juno joins the ranks of 32 other KFELS B Class jackups operating in different parts of the world, fortifying the track record of this winning rig design.

About Seadrill Limited

Listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Oslo Stock Exchange, Seadrill is an international offshore drilling contractor providing services within drilling and well services. The company operates a versatile fleet of 54 units that comprises drillships, jack-up rigs, semi-submersible rigs and tender rigs for operations in shallow to ultra-deepwater areas in harsh environment and benign environments.

About Keppel FELS

Keppel FELS is a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), a wholly-owned company of Keppel Corporation Limited. Keppel O&M is a leader in offshore rig design, repair and construction, shiprepair and conversion and specialised shipbuilding. Its near market, near customer strategy is bolstered by a global network of 20 yards and offices in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and the North Sea regions. Integrating the experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, the group aims to be the provider of choice and partner for solutions for the offshore and marine industry.

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Source: Kepcorp , December 3, 2010; Image: Seadrill