OREANDA-NEWS.  Drydocks World announced that it has signed an Agreement with Malta Oil & Gas Ltd. for building two unique new jack-up drilling rigs based on Gusto MSC CJ54-X135-A design. The Agreement was signed by His Excellency Khamis Juma Buamim, Chairman of Drydocks World & Maritime World and Mr. Paul Robert Thomson of Malta Oil & Gas Ltd.

His Excellency Buamim said, “There is a great demand for new offshore drilling rigs in the rapidly evolving upstream oil & gas sector. Our strategy to contribute to the growth of this sector has paid rich dividends. We are delighted to have made definite inroads into sophisticated engineering and construction to support this sector. Increasingly sophisticated and highly specialized drilling rigs are being used for deepwater exploration and development and this is the latest requirement of the sector and we are fully geared to meet the increasing demand.”

The Unit has dimensions of 76m x 76m and leg length 180.6m and is intended for operation in water depths up to 450 ft. It consists of a triangular shaped hull with three open truss legs, rack and pinion type elevating systems and leg-to-hull fixation systems. The rig will be capable of drilling HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) wells. It is equipped with a permanent accommodation for 150 persons, a heli-deck suitable for the use of a S61N or S92 helicopter and a retractable X-Y type cantilever carrying the drilling derrick.

Drydocks World is undertaking a strategic development in its rig business from repair & refurbishment and rehabilitation to new building. The company is taking advantage of the presence of a highly-experienced management team and the ready availability of a strong dedicated engineering team to implement changes to original basic design, which holds the key to successful delivery. In addition, the Operational Excellence cycle is adhered to at all levels of production and the rig will be constructed in accordance to the cycle. The operation excellence initiative, which started with preliminary meetings involving clients has helped in understanding the rig’s operational requirements.