Keppel’s US subsidiary to build and upgrade deepwater semisubmersible
Keppel AmFELS, a US wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine, has secured a contract from Diamond Offshore to construct and upgrade a moored semisubmersible rig with delivery scheduled for 2013.
The estimated shipyard contract price is about $150 million. The rig, to be named Ocean Onyx, will be constructed from an existing hull from a Diamond Offshore cold stacked unit, which previously operated as the Ocean Voyager.
Keppel AmFELS' scope of work on the Ocean Onyx includes the reconstruction of the rig, installation of equipment such as a modern drilling package, and installation of sponsons to the pontoons to enhance the stability of the rig in deepwater. The rig will be designed to operate in water depths of up to 6,000ft and will have a variable deck load of 5,000 tonnes, a five-ram blowout preventer, and accommodation for 140 personnel.
