“We’ll take all of it” – Siem Offshore grabs full ownership of drillship from Transocean

Siem Offshore has taken over the remaining 50% ownership interest in Overseas Drilling Ltd (ODL) from a subsidiary of Transocean, including full management of the scientific ocean drilling ship Joides Resolution as of August 1.  The vessel is now undergoing maintenance in Curacao, where it will be tied up until the middle of September.

The Joides Resolution has been contracted since January 2011 with the Texas A&M Research Foundation for its Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, lasting at least through September 2013 with the option for an additional 10 years.

The Joides Resolution commenced operations as an oil exploration drillship in the late 1970s and was converted into a scientific ocean drilling vessel in the mid-1980s. The vessel then underwent a two-year, US$100 million, modernization program that was completed in early 2009. The modernization included new accommodations and office spaces, new scientific laboratories, refurbishment of the drilling and coring equipment, refurbishment of the thrusters and propulsion system, new bridge and navigation systems, improved core handling capabilities, and structural improvements.

The Joides Resolution is one of the primary research vessels for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, an international research program supported by two lead agencies, the United States National Science Foundation and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and by other participating international consortiums, including ECORD, the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling, of which Norway is a member. The vessel operates worldwide recovering core samples from the ocean floor which are analyzed onboard by a team of up to 50 scientists and technicians working 24 hours a day. The vessel is capable of operating in water depths of up to 27,000 feet.

Photo courtesy joidesresolution.org

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