area report Middle East
Drydocks and Lamprell gain new contracts
The Middle East offshore construction sector is booming, with shipyards busy building specialised vessels and rigs for the world’s offshore oil and renewables projects
T
he experience gained by yards in the Middle East over the years means that yards such as Drydocks World and Lamprell continue to secure orders for new vessels, conversions and rig upgrades for the offshore oil and gas industry. Drydocks World’s shipyard in Dubai recently gained an order from Singapore-based shipowner AET to convert two tankers into marine capture vessels (MCVs) for the collection of oil spillages. The vessels will be chartered for 20 years to Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) to provide containment services in the event of a potential deepwater well control incident in the US Gulf of Mexico. The order came because of the industry’s reaction to BP’s Macondo well disaster two years ago. The conversions will allow the vessels to
trade as standard Aframax tankers, with the capability
to be deployed as MCVs during
any future oil spillage accidents. During the conversion, Drydocks World will install four power generators, four retractable-type azimuth thrusters, one tunnel thruster and a DP system. The work will also include the installation of pipe racks, structural supports for process modules and a flare tower. There will also be other equipment fitted to enable these ships to be deployed as MCVs. Drydocks World’s chairman Khamis Juma
Buamim said the contract award from AET was the result of the Dubai shipyard’s investment in technology. “We already have an established reputation and strong expertise in carrying out sophisticated vessel conversion projects. Our thrust on expanding our knowledge base and creating a technology-driven state-of-the-art facility has borne fruit and we are able to effectively serve the industry,” he explained. The Dubai shipyard has also invested
in
increasing its expertise in building specialised offshore vessels. Its recent deliveries have confirmed the benefits of this investment. In April, Drydocks World delivered self-elevating platform Samrat to Mumbai-based owner Afcons Infrastructure. The owner intends to use Samrat for construction and maintenance of port jetties, and for geotechnical surveys, and possibly for the repair and maintenance of offshore platforms and wellheads. There is space on board for the mounting of drills, pile drivers and a pile load testing kit. “Our business strategy of supporting the oil and gas industry with needs-based vessels and platforms with sophisticated capabilities has worked well for everyone,” said Mr Buamim. “We are delighted to have completed the construction of this vessel as per the requirements and within the agreed schedule. We believe in continuous improvement as part of constant endeavour to achieve operational excellence. A high standard of safety, quality and environmental management is involved in all our operations.” The scope of work at the yard involved detailed engineering, procurement and construction of 45m-long Samrat. The vessel was constructed with four 60m spud legs. It can be jacked up with four spuds and a jacking system, and has an elevated weight of 2,928 tonnes. It is equipped with a Manitowoc crane, six mooring
winches, two generator sets and three engines, which provide power to the hydraulic systems. Drydocks World is currently under a financial reorganisation and restructuring programme. In April, it gained approval from a syndicate of lenders that will provide the shipyard group with finance to solve its debt problems. The company said the support from its lenders “should enable it to rapidly implement its debt restructuring. Once implemented, the business should be well placed to progress its strategic ambitions, secure in the knowledge that it is on a firm financial footing.” Rival
vessel builder Lamprell has made
progress with its latest projects and won fresh rig orders. Lamprell delivered the latest liftboat it is building for Seajacks in May. The 13,700gt self- elevating, windfarm installation vessel, Seajacks Zaratan, is a Gusto MSC NG-5500 design. It has a payload of 2,950 tonnes and is equipped with an 800 tonne circular crane. Lamprell chief executive Nigel McCue said the vessel will be delivered to Seajacks soon after 23 months of construction. It is the third of a series of windfarm installation vessels Lamprell has built for Seajacks. The first two – Seajacks Kraken and Seajacks Leviathan – were recently sold by owner Riverstone
Holdings,
to Japanese companies
Marubeni and Innovation Network Corp of Japan. Lamprell’s most recent contract awards have added almost US$630 million to its order backlog. It gained a US$333 million order from Abu Dhabi's national drilling company NDC to build two jack-up rigs in addition to the four it is already building for the driller. The two new units will be based on the same Le Tourneau design with a water depth capability of 60m and a drilling depth of 9km. They will be built at Lamprell’s Hamriyah construction facility and are due for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2014 and first quarter of 2015 respectively. From an unnamed rig owner, Lamprell won
Lamprell’s Sharjah facilities will be upgrading jack-up rigs for Noble Drilling 46 I Offshore Support Journal I June 2012
a US$227 million contract to build a LeTourneau designed, self-elevating rig. It will have a Super 116E (Enhanced) Class design and will be constructed at the Hamriyah yard for completion in the fourth quarter of 2014. In another deal, Lamprell won a US$62 million contract to refurbish and upgrade the Gilbert Rowe jack-up rig before it begins work in Qatar. Lamprell is also upgrading four rigs for Noble Drilling – Gus Androes, Charles Copeland, George Mcleod and Chuck Syring – at its Sharjah and Hamriyah yards. OSJ
www.osjonline.com
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