Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS) is on track to deliver West Vencedor, the sixth of seven KFELS semisubmersible drilling tenders (SSDT) to Seadrill Limited before the end of 2009. The completion of this project on time and within budget, will top out a record year of 13 rig deliveries for Keppel FELS.
West Vencedor is built to Keppel’s KFELS SSDT 3600E design which was conferred the ASEAN outstanding engineering achievement award in December 2009 for its eco-friendly features and sustainable operations.
The vessel was named at Keppel FELS by Lady Sponsor, Maria Luisa Breisacher-Moshiri, spouse of Alireza Moshiri, President, Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company.
West Vencedor is expected to commence development drilling operations offshore Angola under a five-year contract with Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, in the first quarter of 2010.
The KFELS SSDT became the first drilling tender in the world to operate in deep waters of about 1,000 metres in the West Seno field, offshore Indonesia in 2003, and to be deployed against a Spar platform in the Kikeh Deepwater Field, offshore Malaysia in 2008.
Keppel Offshore & Marine Group has constructed four Seadrill’s world-class jackups. Construction of the seventh SSDT and two jackups at Keppel FELS remains on schedule with expected deliveries extending from from 2Q2010 into 2Q2011. When completed, Keppel-built rigs will make up 35% of Seadrill’s premium fleet.