Ensco orders its eighth Samsung DP3 ultra-deepwater drillship

Ensco has ordered an additional advanced-capability DP3 ultra-deepwater drillship based on the Samsung GF12000 hull design. The vessel, ENSCO DS-10, will be the eighth Samsung DP3 drillship in the Ensco fleet. It will be built at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea, with delivery scheduled for Q3 2015. The agreement includes an option for an additional drillship of the same design.

Measuring 755 ft in length and 125 ft in width, ENSCO DS-10 will offer a 1,250-ton hoisting system with enhanced offline capability. Like ENSCO DS-8 and ENSCO DS-9, the new unit will have advanced capabilities to meet the demands of ultra-deepwater drilling in water depths up to 12,000 ft and a total vertical drilling depth of 40,000 ft. It will be initially outfitted to work in water depths up to 10,000 ft. Including commissioning, systems integration testing, project management and tubulars, the construction cost is expected to be approximately $625 million.

ENSCO DS-8 and ENSCO DS-9, also based on the GF12000 hull design, are scheduled for delivery in 2014. Ensco is currently the only drilling contractor offering the advanced features of the GF12000 hull design. Features of the drillship include: retractable thrusters; enhanced safety and environmental features; improved dynamic positioning capabilities; and advanced drilling and completion functionality, including below-main-deck riser storage, triple fluid systems and offline conditioning capability. The drillship also incorporates enhanced client and third-party facilities with living quarters for up to 200 personnel.

A 165-ton active heave compensating construction crane allows for deployment of subsea production equipment without interference with ongoing drilling operations. ENSCO DS-10 includes a 15,000-psi subsea well control system with seven rams and can accommodate a second BOP stack.

“We continue to see very strong demand for rigs in existing deepwater markets, along with growing demand from emerging exploration areas. Operators are also showing high interest in this iteration of the Samsung DP3 drillship, due to its advanced design and capabilities that improve drilling productivity and fuel efficiency – two key factors that affect the operator’s project costs,” said Ensco chairman, president and CEO Dan Rabun.

Ensco’s four active DP3 drillships are currently working in the US Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa. Three are contracted into 2016, and the fourth is contracted into 2018. A fifth drillship, ENSCO DS-7, scheduled for delivery later in 2013, is contracted to Total into 2016.

View the original article here

Ensco orders sixth ultra-deepwater drillship to meet customer demands

Responding to the high level of customer demand driven by a trend of successful offshore discoveries, Ensco has ordered an advanced-capability, ultra-deepwater drillship to be built by Samsung Heavy Industries in Geoje, South Korea.

The vessel, ENSCO DS-8, will be the sixth Samsung DP3 drillship in the Ensco fleet.  It is scheduled for delivery in the Q3 2014. The contract also includes options for two additional drillships of the same design.

Consistent with the previous five Samsung ultra-deepwater drillships ordered since 2007, the new unit will have advanced capabilities to meet the demands of ultra-deepwater drilling in water depths up to 12,000 ft and a total vertical drilling depth of 40,000 ft. New features on ENSCO DS-8 include retractable thrusters, enhanced safety and environmental features, improved dynamic positioning capabilities and advanced drilling and completion functionality including below-main-deck riser storage, triple fluid systems, offline conditioning capability and enhanced client and third-party facilities.

“An ongoing trend of new deepwater oil and gas discoveries around the globe is creating a high demand for equipment capable of tapping those resources,” Ensco Chairman, President and CEO Dan Rabun, said.

The new drillship is based on the proprietary Samsung GF12000 hull design measuring 755 ft in length and 125 ft in width. It will offer a payload in excess of 22,000 tons and a 1,250-ton hoisting system. The rig’s design and capabilities include features that increase operating efficiency, such as enhanced and redundant offline tubular stand building features and a 165-ton active heave compensating construction crane, allowing for the deployment of subsea production equipment without interference with ongoing drilling operations.

The rig will be equipped with dynamic positioning in compliance with DPS-3 certification; six-5.5 megawatt thrusters for enhanced station-keeping; expanded drilling fluids capacity; a 15,000-psi subsea well control system with six rams, upgradable to seven rams and/or a second BOP stack; burner boom for well testing; and living quarters for up to 200 personnel.

“This addition to our fleet is in keeping with our strategy of standardization, which streamlines construction, operations, inventory management, training, regulatory compliance, repairs and maintenance,” Mr Rabun said.

Ensco’s three active DP3 drillships are currently contracted into 2016 in the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa. A fourth, ENSCO DS-6, is undergoing pre-commissioning modifications in preparation for its first well assignment under a five-year contract with BP. ENSCO DS-7 is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2013.

View the original article here