Grand ceremony for the first of three rigs built by North Sea Rigs
Several hundred people were present at the naming ceremony of North Sea Rig’s first rig, North Dragon, at the YCRO shipyard in Yantai, China, today. The rig company and its owners take a long-term perspective, providing rigs for cost efficient, safe and effective operations.
North Dragon, Beacon Atlantic and Beacon Pacific all have a design (GM4-D) based on YCROs’ previous construction projects with rigs adapted for operations in a harsh environment. The concept has also adopted the best elements of new rig projects such as Statoil’s CAT D.
The new rigs are winterized and designed for operation at up to 1200m water depths, and can drill to depths of 8000 m. The rigs are built in accordance with NORSOK and NPD standards and meet the strictest environmental and zero emission requirements. They are ready to start operations on the Norwegian Continental shelf (NCS) as well as other petroleum provinces around the world.
Steel cutting for rig number three, Beacon Pacific, was carried out in June 2015. According to plans the rig will be ready for delivery end 2017.
Lady sponsor for the first of three rigs, the North Dragon, was Mrs. Heidi Baugstø, chairman of North Sea Rigs AS.
”I would like to congratulate the yard with the successful construction of the best in class drilling rig – North Dragon. At the same time, my congratulations are also extended to all parties contributing to this success – National Oilwell, Kongsberg, Siemens, Rolls Royce, DNV-GL and last, but not the least – the NSR team both in China and in Norway,” said chairman Heidi Baugstø at the banquet that followed the naming ceremony.
Present at the event were, among others, owners, partners, clients and employees. The guests got to experience both Chinese and Norwegian culture through great artists and performances.
The newbuilds will be equipped with state of the art technology delivered by North Sea Rigs’ strategic partners, Global Maritime (design and concept) Kongsberg Maritime (Integrated Control System with DP-3, Thruster Control, Navigation, Marine Automation, Emergency Shutdown System (ESD) and Fire & Gas System), NOV (Drilling facilities), Siemens (Software/integration and electro systems), and Rolls-Royce (engines and thrusters).
The rig design is based on efficient operational layout and the newest drilling technology and flexible positioning. The rigs will be able to drill efficiently on the NCS.
The rigs fulfil stringent regulatory requirements: The rigs fulfil the requirements of NMD, NORSOK and NPD Standards, and are classed by the DNV as zero discharge /environmentally friendly.
North Sea Rigs AS provides a unique framework for managing the building of rigs and vessels in China on behalf of owners.
The YCRO shipyard is an integrated offshore rigs builder, capable of engineering, construction and commissioning of offshore projects. The company employs a staff of nearly 4,000, plus 8,000 subcontractors. It operates 3 fabrication yards, located in Yantai, Haiyang and Longkou, Shandong Province, P.R. China.
As one of the largest offshore rigs builders in China, they specializes in semi-submersible rigs, jack-ups, and multi-purpose offshore projects.
North Dragon Sea Trial – final update October 16th
North Dragon completed a successful sea trial on Friday 16 October 2015 ; 14 days – 3 hours – 25 minutes.
North Dragon DES safely arrived Yantai 1st of April
The completed Drilling Equipment Substructure (DES) that was fabricated in Nymo Shipyard, Grimstad, Norway has now arrived in Yantai and will be installed on the North Dragon rig very shortly. The DES contains the remaining NOV drilling equipment package as well as the drilling derrick. This is another major milestone in the building of the North Dragon semi-submersible rig.
