Keppel and ConocoPhillips to design first ice-worthy jackup rig for the Arctic Offshore

Joint project will yield breakthroughs in offshore Arctic drilling


Keppel Offshore & Marine Technology Centre (KOMtech), a design and engineering arm of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), and ConocoPhillips are jointly designing a first-of-its-kind ice-worthy jackup rig to operate in one of the harshest marine frontiers, the Arctic Seas.

This jackup rig will have dual cantilevers to optimise drilling operations within a limited time window. The rig is capable of operating in a self-sustained manner for 14 days and is equipped with a hull that is designed for towing in ice. It is also able to resist the impacts from multi-year ice floes and ridges as well as withstand certain level of ice thickness.This joint design project is expected to be completed by end 2013.

Dr Foo Kok Seng, Centre Director, KOMtech said, "We are glad to partner with ConocoPhillips to jointly design this ice-worthy jackup rig for the Arctic Seas. The features of this jackup rig make it a cost-effective and promising drilling solution for the Arctic Offshore. In leveraging the combined expertise, resources and research findings of Keppel O&M and ConocoPhillips, we believe that this joint project will achieve significant breakthroughs in offshore Arctic drilling."

Keppel O&M has an established track record in designing and building rigs for harsh environments. It has delivered three KFELS N Class rigs for work in the North Sea, and these jackups can operate in harsh weather conditions in water depths ranging from 400-500 feet, which are 40% deeper than traditional units in benign waters.

In 2008, Keppel O&M's wholly-owned subsidiary, Keppel Singmarine broke into the Arctic market, having successfully delivered the first pair of icebreakers built in the tropics of Asia to LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft.