Drydocks World Refurbishes NDC Rig

Drydocks World, the international service provider to the shipping, maritime, offshore, oil, gas and energy sectors, announced the completion of a major refurbishment carried out on National Drilling Company’s (NDC) Offshore Drilling Rig Al Ghallan. The project is part of a series of four rig repair and refurbishment projects signed with NDC in 2013. Before that, eight projects were completed. The numbers of projects carried out for NDC have progressively increased over the years.

Drydocks World claims a well-established reputation in the rig repair, refit and refurbishment segment. The company has successfully dry-docked, repaired and refurbished 125 Offshore Platform Vessels (OPV) belonging to major companies. The shipyard has extensive experience on drilling rigs and jack-up drilling units. There are instances where a basic hull structure was transformed into a complete OPV with newly fabricated bracing legs, columns, spud cans, accommodation structures and jack up and drilling systems.

His Excellency Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman of Drydocks World & Maritime World is a staunch advocate of offering quality services to the offshore oil and gas and energy sectors as he foresees growing opportunity in these rapidly evolving sectors. According to him, “We are grateful to NDC for their continued faith in our services. We offer services that are suited to the company’s requirements related to rig refurbishment and refit. We have the capability to meet all the requirements of NDC and plan to develop the rig business further by joining hands with major suppliers and certified subcontractors. As a regional service provider we are delighted to work with prominent companies in the region and make effective contributions to the growth of the offshore oil and gas sector. Deep water exploration and the increased requirements for specialized vessels for offshore exploration and production; accommodation rigs or offshore support vessels has been one of our priority targets for future business. We have a dedicated team of highly skilled employees dedicated to address the repair, refit and refurbishment needs of offshore drilling rigs. Our facility has three large graving docks and well-equipped workshops that provide us the flexibility of addressing assignments that are of a highly challenging nature.”

Abdalla Saeed Al Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer of NDC underlined the importance of the modernization projects of the existing rigs in maintaining the best fit-for-service condition while extending its remaining life a reliable, safe and cost-effective way: “These major refurbishment projects performed in parallel with the fleet expansion plans to obtain new and advanced offshore and onshore rigs are contributing considerably in strengthening NDC’s operational excellence and sustaining the maximum levels of safety, environment protection and effective performance. This will certainly enable NDC to serve its clients competently and always meet their operational requirements and achieve their satisfaction.”

Rig Al Ghallan is a Self-Elevating Cantilever Type Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit with three triangular lattice type legs, which are 234 ft long. The work carried out on the rigs include modification of three spud cans of 160 metric tons each, including replacement of cathodic protection, painting, placing height markings, carrying out an inclining experiment and updating the rig’s operating manuals. Nearly 55 metric tons of steel were replaced in the tanks.

Major refurbishment was carried out in the Accommodation. The rig’s three cranes were dismantled and overhauled. High pressure Koomey lines were replaced. Pipes around the rig were revamped. An engineering study was carried out based on which the ventilation in the Sewage Treatment Plant and transformer room were improved. Cantilever skidding gears, air hoists, air tuggers, raw water tower elevation system, gears and bearings and dump and equalizing valves were overhauled. Other work included MPI inspection of legs, painting of the derrick and blasting and painting of hull, tanks and mud pits.

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