Early delivery pays off for Keppel

Zero lost time incidents and the record four month early delivery of the Alpha Star, a DSS 38 ultra deepwater semisubmersible rig, to Brazil’s Queiroz Galvão Óleo e Gás (QGOG) has paid off to the tune of US $8 million.

The early delivery continues Keppel FELS track record of delivering its rigs on time or ahead of schedule. It is the third early delivery this year, following the early delivery of the semisubmersible drilling tender, West Jaya, to Seadrill and of the KFELS N Class rig, Rowan Stavanger, for Rowan Companies.

The rig has been chartered by Petrobras for six years to support exploration and production activities offshore Brazil.

Jointly developed and owned by Keppel’s Deepwater Technology Group and Marine Structure Consultants, the DSS 38 design is in the league of some of the world’s most advanced drilling semisubmersibles.  The design is rated to drill 30,000 feet below mud line in over 9,000 feet water depth. It has an operational displacement of over 38,000 tons and can accommodate 130 persons. It also features both vertical and horizontal riser storage and is configured with eight 3,000 kW azimuth thrusters to keep the rig in position.

Designed to maximize uptime with reduced emissions and discharges, a DSS 38 rig is well-suited to handle the operational requirements in the deepwater “Golden Triangle” region, which comprises Brazil, Africa and the Gulf of Mexico.

Alpha Star is the second of two DSS 38 semisubmersible rigs delivered to QGOG.

PHOTO: The first of two DSS 38 semisubmersible rigs delivered to QGOG courtesy Keppel

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