Keppel to Deliver 100th Jackup Rig

Keppel FELS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) is on track to deliver PV Drilling VI, a KFELS B Class jackup rig, to PV Drilling Overseas (PVDO), a subsidiary of PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corp (PV Drilling) on time, on budget and with a perfect safety record.

It is the 100th jackup rig Keppel FELS has built since 1970, of which more than half are based on the KFELS B Class design. Developed by Keppel's technology arm, Offshore Technology Development, this design has a market share of about a quarter of all jackup rigs delivered since 2000.

The naming ceremony of PV Drilling VI was held at Keppel FELS today and witnessed by Guest of honor Nguyen Xuan Son, Chairman of PetroVietnam.

Chow Yew Yuen, CEO of Keppel O&M said, "Keppel FELS is pleased to have reached this milestone of 100 jackup rigs built which reaffirms our position as the largest manufacturer of jackup rigs in the world. It is testament to our rich experience and expertise in delivering offshore rigs to our customers. Over the years, we have also developed innovative rig designs for the market.

“For instance, PV Drilling VI has been built to our award-winning KFELS B Class design and is the ideal choice to meet the requirements for a wide variety of offshore environments including Vietnam. It is the fourth such rig to be delivered to Vietnam. Our long-standing partnership with PV Drilling has enabled us to continually deliver projects to them more efficiently and safely each time.”

The KFELS B Class rig is be able to operate in water depths of up to 400ft with a drilling depth of 30,000ft. PV Drilling VI has been further enhanced with features like engines that meet more stringent emission standards, increased capacity for mud pit tanks, a secondary tensioning system, accommodation for 150 persons as well as a lower spud can bearing pressure for operation in areas with soft soil conditions.

Pham Tien Dung, CEO of PV Drilling and Chairman of PVDO, said, “The high-specification and cost-efficient PV Drilling VI is PVDO’s first jack-up rig, and will play an important role in accelerating PVDO’s drilling program for South East Asia and beyond. We recognize the strength of the KFELS B Class rigs as the three rigs that are operating for PV Drilling have been performing very well.

“Keppel FELS has a solid track record in delivering technologically advanced rigs with great quality and efficiency. Therefore, we are glad to have built this partnership and look forward to working together on many other projects to come.”

Keppel O&M has been actively involved in Vietnam since the 1980s and has built up a credible track record over the years. The group’s expertise and experience have been demonstrated in rig building, ship conversions and repairs. It delivered Vietnam’s first jack up rig, the Tam Dao I in 1988 and is responsible for PV Drilling’s modern fleet of three KFELS B Class jackup rigs – PV Drilling I, PV Drilling II and PV Drilling III - as well as Vietnam’s first semisubmersible drilling tender (SSDT).

Besides newbuild rigs, Keppel O&M has also completed a number of FPSO vessel conversions for PetroVietnam including one of Vietnam's largest FPSOs, delivered to PV Keez for the Chim Sao field and more recently, the FPSO Lam Son.