Rig: Halul

Keppel FELS delivers first rig of the year safely and on time

Keppel FELS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has delivered Halul, a KFELS B Class jackup rig, to Gulf Drilling International Ltd. (q.s.c) (GDI) of Qatar. It was completed on 21 January 2016, ten days ahead of schedule, on budget and with a perfect safety record. It is the first rig that Keppel FELS has delivered this year. Halul is also the fifth KFELS B Class jackup rig delivered to GDI. With its continued successful partnership with Keppel FELS, GDI has renewed options for two more repeat KFELS B Class rigs for deliveries in 2018 and 2019. Mr Wong Kok Seng, Managing Director of Keppel O&M (Offshore) and Keppel FELS, said, "We are proud to deliver another rig to GDI early and safely. This is our first delivery of the year and we are proud that even in a low oil price environment, the KFELS B Class continues to be the preferred rig in the market for its high quality, efficiency and safety. "While there is widespread industry cautiousness, the strong relationships we have built with our long-standing customers, such as GDI, enables us to work together to deliver projects in a win-win fashion." The KFELS B Class rigs have a strong track record for GDI. Sister rigs Dukhan and Al Zubarah are operating successfully for Qatar Petroleum while Al Khor is performing well for Shell. Mr. Mubarak A. Al-Hajri, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of GDI, said, "We are pleased to receive the Halul ahead of schedule, enabling us to start work earlier for Qatar Petroleum. Reliability, safety, efficiency and quality are our top priorities in choosing a rig and a shipyard. Keppel FELS and the KFELS B Class design have demonstrated their strengths in these areas repeatedly. That is why we have chosen to renew our options for two more rigs with them. We are confident in the long term fundamentals of the industry and when the market recovers, we will be well-equipped to meet the demand." Built to GDI's requirements, the jackup rig has been designed to operate in the higher ambient temperature of the Middle East. The KFELS B Class is equipped with larger spud cans for reduced bearing pressure and expands its operational coverage in more places, especially in sea beds where soft soil is predominant. The rig can drill wells through 30,000 feet with a cantilever that can skid out 70 feet from the edge of the hull to drill wells. It features offline stand building capabilities and 7,500 PSI mud pumps, with accommodation for 150 persons. Besides newbuild rigs, Nakilat-Keppel O&M, Keppel's joint venture shipyard in Qatar, recently completed a self-propelled and self-elevating liftboat for GDI.

GDI places order for 'Halul' jackup rig with Keppel FELS

Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), has secured a contract from Gulf Drilling International Ltd. (GDI) of Qatar to build a repeat high-specification KFELS B Class jackup rig worth USD227 million. As part of the contract, GDI has options for two more KFELS B Class rigs for deliveries in 2017. The new jackup is to be named ‘Halul’ and Keppel FELS has already begun preparations for its scheduled delivery in Q1 2016 during the course of discussions with GDI. Upon delivery, ‘Halul’ will be chartered to Qatar Petroleum for five years. ‘Halul’ is GDI's fifth KFELS B Class jackup rig ordered from Keppel. The fourth rig, ‘Dukhan’, was recently delivered last month. ‘Les Hat’, a similar jackup, was delivered last year and has been successfully operating for GDI in the Middle East, following in the footsteps of sister rigs, ‘AL Khor’ and ‘AL Zubarah’. Customised to GDI's requirements, the new jackup rig will be designed to operate in the higher ambient temperature of the Middle East. The KFELS B Class is equipped with larger spud cans for reduced bearing pressure and expands its operational coverage in more places, especially in sea beds where soft soil is predominant. The rig can drill wells through 30,000 feet with a cantilever that can skid out 70 feet from the edge of the hull to drill wells. It features offline stand building capabilities and 7,500 PSI mud pumps, with accommodation for 150 persons.

GDI announces new contract award from Qatar Petroleum

Gulf Drilling International Limited (GDI), a subsidiary of Gulf International Services (GIS), the largest oilfield service company in Qatar, announced that they have been awarded a new contract by Qatar Petroleum for a new hi-spec premium jack-up rig starting in the 2nd quarter in 2016. The brand new rig, recently named ‘Halul’, will become the 4th jack-up rig in GDI’s fleet to be under contract to QP, for an initial term of five years and having an estimated contract value of QR1.2 Billion. The other three GDI jack-up rigs under contract to QP are ‘Al Doha’, ‘Al Zubarah’ and ‘Dukhan’. GDI has identified a renowned international shipyard with a rig suitable to QP which will be delivered within the specified time frame and is in the process of finalizing its order. GDI’s chief executive officer, Mr Ibrahim J. Al Othman said: “GDI is pleased to have received this important award from QP which will be starting work mid 2016. This new business generated by “Halul” will support our growth plan in 2016, which will in turn support our long term revenue growth.”. “GDI’s favorable reputation has been earned over time through the strong partnerships that have been forged with all our clients, where flexibility to customize our services to meet the client’s specific requirements has always been emphasized. I must also mention my appreciation and thanks to H.E. Dr. Mohamed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, QP Chairman and Managing Director, for his continuous support to GDI and the respective departments of QP. My thanks also goes to GDI Board of Directors for their guidance and support” Mr. Al Othman added. The key features of the new rig “Halul” will be a 1.5 million pound derrick, 150 man accommodation, 75 foot cantilever outreach, 7,500 horse power mud pumps and other customizations required by QP. Adding another state of the art rig to GDI’s fleet will serve the dual purpose of raising the Company’s technical capabilities while reducing the average age of its fleet. GDI’s versatility will also be enhanced with four of its six cyber rigs capable of operating anywhere within the offshore areas of the State of Qatar. The rig in question is believed to be the ‘Clearwater Jackup TBN 2’, which is currently under construction at KeppelFELS in Singapore and due for delivery in Q1 2016. Clearwater recently sold one its under construction jackups to the Arabian Drilling Company (ADC), which has been renamed ‘AD 70’.