SEMBCORP MARINE'S JURONG SHIPYARD SECURES US$400 MILLION CONTRACT TO BUILD TWO PREMIUM JACKUP RIGS WITH OPTIONS FOR ANOTHER FOUR JACKUP RIGS FROM NOBLE CORPORATION

US contract driller Noble Corporation is set to splash out $440 million on two new high-specification heavy-duty, harsh-environment jack-up drilling rigs.


Upstream staff 21 December 2010 14:24 GMT

The jack-ups, which will be built at Sembcorp Marine's Jurong Shipyard in Singapore, will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2012 and the second quarter of 2013, respectively.

Each unit will cost $220 million, which includes project management, spares, and start-up costs. Capitalised interest is not included in this sum.

The contract also has options for up to four further units.

Noble said the options must be exercised by 1 January 2012.

Under the option, the four extra jack-ups will be priced based on the original unit price, plus a potential escalation factor, with future deliveries scheduled in six month increments beginning in late 2013.

The rigs will be built to the Friede & Goldman JU3000N design.

The jack-ups will be able to operate in water depths up to 400 feet and drill to depths of 30,000 feet.

The rigs will each have a 75 foot cantilever, 2.5 million pounds of hook load capacity, a high capacity mud circulating system, and a 15,000 psi blow out preventer system.