VESSEL REVIEW | Perro Negro 11 – Harsh-environment rig for Saipem’s Middle East drilling activities

Chinese shipyard CIMC Raffles has handed over a jackup drilling platform to Italy's Saipem to support its operations in the Middle East.

Perro Negro 11 utilises an ABS-approved design originally developed by US-based engineering firm Friede and Goldman to allow operations in water depths up to 120 metres even under extreme sea and weather conditions and temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. The maximum drilling depth is rated at 10,668 metres.

The platform has an LOA of 70.358 metres, a beam of 76 metres, a draught of five metres, depth of 9.45 metres, an open deck with an area of 2,845 square metres, three 166-metre legs, and accommodations for up to 140 personnel. An installed flight deck can accommodate a 27-tonne utility helicopter.

The platform is fitted with six 3516 B-HD 1,530ekW generators and a 3512 B emergency generator, all supplied by Caterpillar. The generators supply power for the various onboard systems including the 54-pinion jacking system for the three legs, the four deck cranes, and the drilling setup. The drilling arrangement includes three mud pumps and a 907-tonne derrick.

Onboard tanks are used for storing drill water, brine, base oil, and mud and have capacities of 1,570 cubic metres, 211 cubic metres, 211 cubic metres, and 500 cubic metres, respectively. The platform itself is moored with the aid of four two-speed winches, each with 914 metres of wire rope.

Should evacuation of the platform become necessary, the crew have access to three 75-person lifeboats and six 25-person liferafts.

Perro Negro 11 is currently serving a five years' firm contract for Saudi Aramco. The contract also has options to be extended by another two years.

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