Keppel rolls out new breed for Ensco

Singapore’s Keppel FELS has completed the first semi-submersible rig in a fleet of six new units for Ensco in a deal worth $2.5 billion in total.

The deep-water rig, the first of the new Ensco 8500 series, has been contracted in the Gulf of Mexico to Anadarko of the US and Italy’s Eni. The Ensco 8500, an enhanced version of the Ensco 7500, is based upon an Ensco proprietary design and is capable of drilling in up to 8500 feet of water and can readily be upgraded to 10,000 feet water-depth capability if required. Enhanced features include a two million pound quad derrick, offline pipe handling capability, increased drilling capacity, greater variable deck load and improved automatic station keeping ability. “We are pleased with the excellent job by Keppel FELS on our first Ensco 8500 series semi-submersible. As she takes on her maiden assignment in the Gulf of Mexico, the Ensco 8500 will be a showpiece of the quality and capabilities of our new deep-water fleet under construction at Keppel FELS,” Ensco’s chief executive Dan Rabun said at a naming ceremony on Saturday.
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