Singapore: Keppel FELS has completed Transocean's 'Development Driller III', an ultra-deepwater drilling rig built to Keppel's proprietary DSSTM 51 semi submersible design.
The 'Development Driller III' is designed to construct wells as deep as 11,430 metres and operate in water depths of up to 2,286 metres, upgradable to 12,192 metres and 3,048 metres, respectively.
Designed by Keppel's Deepwater Technology Group in collaboration with Marine Structures Consultants of the Netherlands, units in the DSSTM Series boast several cost-efficient and distinctive safety features for rig operators.
The DSSTM series of rigs has a total payload of 13,500 tonnes. This heavy-duty payload reduces the need and costs of transporting supplies to and from the rig considerably, and is especially valuable when operating in remote environments.
Rigs in the series also have distinct "double-skin" columns, which protect the critical equipment within from damage by external impact. This greatly reduces rig downtime in the case of hurricanes or strong climatic pressures out at sea. The layout of the engine rooms has also been designed to minimise the potential of both being shut-down at the same time in an emergency.
Furthermore, being able to operate at water depths of 3,000 metres and drilling depths of 10,000 metres below the mudline makes the DSSTM series well-suited to operate in offshore Brazil, West Africa, Gulf of Mexico and Southeast Asia. The DSSTM Series also features reduced emissions and discharges, offering an environmentally friendly solution for the global offshore industry.
'Development Driller III' was named in the presence of Guest-of-Honour, Peter Ong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, by Mrs Lyn Thierens, wife of Harry Thierens, Gulf of Mexico Drilling & Completions Wells Director, BP.
Including 'Development Driller III', Keppel FELS has completed three of eight DSSTM semis ordered since the design's premiere in 2001.