Drydocks World has completed a major repair and refurbishment of National Drilling Company’s (NDC) jackup drilling rig Al Ittihad.
The company has carried out maintenance work on several of NDC’s rigs and the numbers have increased over the years. Drydocks World received four orders in 2013 to add to the eight projects completed previously.
Read more: Rig refurbishment renaiisance
The repair and refurbishment package on the 61.87 x 51.21 metre rig included preload, void, bilge and diesel tank steel repair with nearly 125 tonnes of steel used to renew the inside of the tanks. A securing system for the rig floor was designed, fabricated and installed. In addition, inspection was carried out underwater. The sea cooling line for main air compressors and pipes for barite tanks were replaced, the flaring line was re-routed, a 50 metre cement line was renewed and mud valves of the stand pipe manifold were changed. The Yard has also utilised its specialised engineering and other resources to carry out various repair works on the accommodation of the rig including renewal of floor tiling, ceiling panels, door frames etc.
The shipyard’s Global Offshore Services has also shared its resources and experience in overhauling the cantilever skidding units. The preload tanks were blasted and these and the hull were painted. The Rig’s three cranes were overhauled and extensive machining was carried out. Blasting and painting, replacement of electrical cables, replacement of structural angle bars and beams were other work that was completed on the derrick. Hydro-blasting and painting of legs, overhauling of AC works in accommodation and two generator alternators for engine formed part of the job scope.
Abdalla Saeed Al Suwaidi, CEO of NDC underlined the importance of the modernization projects of the existing rigs in raising the level of reliability and productivity of the company rig fleet. These major repair and refurbishment projects, along with the undergoing expansion plans to acquire a growing number of state-of-the-art offshore and onshore rigs are contributing significantly in advancing NDC’s operational excellence and maintaining the highest levels of safety, environment protection and efficient performance. This will certainly enable NDC to serve its clients competently and always meet their operational requirements and achieve their satisfaction, he said.