Keppel FELS Clinches $227M Contract from GDI to Build KFELS B Class Jackup

Keppel FELS Limited, a wholly owned unit of Singapore's Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), has clinched a $227 million contract from Qatar's Gulf Drilling International Ltd. (q.s.c.) (GDI) to build a high-specification KFELS B Class jackup, with GDI holding options to order two more KFELS B Class rigs for deliveries in 2017.

The newbuild jackup, to be named Halul (300' ILC), will be the fifth that GDI has ordered from Keppel FELS, with delivery scheduled for 1Q 2016. When delivered, Halul will be chartered to Qatar Petroleum for five years.

Last month, Keppel FELS delivered the fourth jackup, Dukhan (300' ILC), to GDI, while Les Hat (300' ILC) has been operating successfully for GDI in the Middle East after delivery in 2013. Two other jackups that the Singapore rig builder delivered earlier to GDI were Al Khor (300' ILC) and Al Zubarah (300' ILC).

“We are pleased to have been chosen by GDI to build another benchmark jackup for them. The KFELS B Class has established itself as a reliable high specification jackup for the Middle East with more than 10 such rigs successfully operating there,” Wong Kok Seng, managing director of Keppel O&M (Offshore) and Keppel FELS said in a press release.

Halul, which can drill in water depths up to 300 feet, is designed to operate in the higher ambient temperature of the Middle East. The KFELS B Class is equipped with larger spud cans for reduced bearing pressure and expands its operational coverage in more places, especially in sea beds where soft soil is predominant. The jackup can drill wells through 30,000 feet with a cantilever that can skid out 70 feet from the edge of the hull to drill wells. It features offline stand building capabilities and 7,500 psi mud pumps, with accommodation for 150 persons.

“We have built a solid relationship with Keppel FELS, who have a reputation for reliability and dependability. The majority of our rigs are of the newer, high spec variety that have been customized to meet the needs of our clients,” Ibrahim J. Al Othman, CEO of GDI said in the press release.



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