Levingston To Build Rig For Mexican Owner At its Port Arthur Division

Officials of Levingston Shipbuilding Company, Orange, Texas, have announced that its Port Arthur Division, Gulfport Shipbuilding, will construct a Levingstondesigned offshore drilling rig. The Class 111-C jackup drilling vessel will be built for Compania Perforadora of Mexico. Triangular in shape, this unit will be 200 feet by 186 feet by 23 feet, and accommodate a crew of 54. Three 414-foot-long legs will allow this rig to operate in 300 feet of water and drill to a depth of 25,000 feet.

Designed to operate under the harshest of weather conditions, this jackup will be able to withstand winds of up to 109 knots and seas of 50 feet.

Levingston officials stated that the decision to construct this rig at Gulfport is the first step in the company's commitment to expand and upgrade its capabilities to once again include the construction of new vessels at the Port Arthur location. This contract represents the first major new construction project undertaken by Gulfport since 1976. For the past several years, the yard has concentrated its efforts primarily in the area of repair work, providing to the marine and offshore industries complete repair facilities for a wide variety of vessels including conventional ships, barges, and all types of offshore drilling equipment.

Approximately 200 additional employees including all crafts as well as some unskilled labor will be hired to construct the jackup drilling rig. This increase will bring the manpower level to 650 employees and enable the shipyard to maintain its present level of ship repair work along with the construction of the drilling rig. Preliminary work on the jackup has already begun.

Other stories from June 1981 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.