Newbuildings & Conversions

摘要

Shell EP Offshore Ventures Limited and Frontier Drillships Ltd., a subsidiary of Frontier Drilling, have signed a deepwater/arctic drillship joint venture agreement, under which Shell and Frontier will build and rollout a new drillship concept, known as tie "Bully" rig. The Bully rig design offers a "flexible, smaller but highly capable" vessel suited for deepwater and arctic drilling, with reduced construction and operational costs compared to current newbuilds. The joint venture expects to deliver the first Bully rig to the Gulf of Mexico by early 2010 and it will be operated by Frontier on behalf of the joint venture under a separate management services contract. The unit will be capable of drilling with surface BOP in up to 12,000 fsw (3,656 msw) and will feature an ice class hull allowing for safe and efficient operation in arctic conditions. Shell hopes to be able to deploy the unit rapidly between areas such as the U.S. Gulf, Nigeria, Brazil, the Far East and Northwest Europe.