World’s Largest Jack-Up Rig Delivered

Maersk Drilling has taken delivery of its second ultra harsh environment jack-up, XLE-2, from the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore on time. The rig will start its mobilisation to the Norwegian North Sea in approximately two weeks, where it will commence a five year contract with Det norske oljeselskap ASA (Det norske).

The rig, which will be named at a ceremony in Norway in October, is the second in a series of four newbuild ultra harsh environment jack-up rigs to enter Maersk Drilling’s rig fleet in 2014-16. The four jack-up rigs represent a total investment of USD 2.6bn. The first three jack-up rigs, including XLE-2, will be delivered from the Keppel FELS shipyard in 2014-2015, and the fourth will be delivered from the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard in South Korea in 2016.

The total estimated contract value is approximately USD 700 million. Det norske has options to extend the contract up to a total of seven years. The rig will be working on the Ivar Aasen field, which contains approximately 150 million barrels of oil equivalents.

Facts about the new ultra harsh environment XL Enhanced jack-ups from Maersk Drilling

With a leg length of 206.8 m (678 ft) the rigs are the world’s largest jack-up rigs and are designed for year round operation in the North Sea, in water depths up to 150 m (492 ft).

Uptime and drilling efficiency are maximised through dual pipe handling. While one string is working in the well bore, a second string of e.g. casing, drill pipe or bottom hole assembly can be assembled/disassembled and stored in the set-back area, ready for subsequent transfer for use in the well bore thus reducing the non-productive time.

The drill floor features Multi Machine Control – a fully remote operated pipe handling system allowing all standard operations such as stand building and tripping to be conducted without personnel on the drill floor thus ensuring a high level of consistency across crews and an improved efficiency.

Reference: maerskdrilling.com

About Author

Marine Insight News Network is a premier source for up-to-date, comprehensive, and insightful coverage of the maritime industry. Dedicated to offering the latest news, trends, and analyses in shipping, marine technology, regulations, and global maritime affairs, Marine Insight News Network prides itself on delivering accurate, engaging, and relevant information.

Read more articles by this author

Latest Shipping News Articles You Would Like:

U.S Navy Fired $1 billion In Missiles To Counter Iran & Houthis In Middle East, Says Navy Secretary

U.S Navy Warships Fire SM-3 Missiles For the First Time To Shoot Down Iranian Missiles

Greece Becomes 1st European Nation To Ban Bottom Trawling In Marine Parks & Protected Areas

Panama Canal Authority Increases Ship Booking Slots & Maximum Allowable Draft As Water Levels Improve

World’s Largest Car Carriers Set to Be Powered By MAN ES Propulsion Package

Howden Offers War Risk Cargo Insurance Covering Red Sea Ships Against Drone & Missile Attacks

Web Stories

7 Interesting Facts About the Captain of the Titanic

FBI Opens Criminal Investigation Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse Incident

US Navy Celebrates Keel Laying of 1st Constellation Class Frigate, the Future USS Constellation

France Puts its Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Under NATO Command for the First Time

Major Ports in South America

View all stories