Page 5: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 1974)

The giant rig registered speeds of up to 11 knots during its sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel is shown in partially ballasted position, with her derrick incomplete.

Bethlehem Beaumont Delivers

The Zapata Ugland

Highly Sophisticated And One Of The World's

Largest, The $27-Million Semisubmersible

Was Designed Especially For The Severe

Environment Of The North Sea

One of the world's largest semi- submersible offshore drilling rigs, the Zapata Ugland, was commis- sioned in special ceremonies on

May 9 in Port Arthur, Texas. Mrs.

J.J. Ugland smashed the tradition- al champagne bottle on a center stabilizing column to officially christen the highly sophisticated "semi."

Built by Bethlehem Steel's Beau- mont, Texas, shipyard, the giant self-propelled vessel will 'be oper- ated by Zapata Ugland Drilling,

Inc., a joint venture company among subsidiaries of Houston- based Zapata Corporation and Nor- way's Ugland group of companies.

Aberdeen, iScotland, will serve as the initial ibase of operations for the $27-million super-semisubmers- ible.

North Sea under a -two-year con- tract with Total Oil Marine, Ltd., a subsidiary of Compagnie Fran- caise des Petroles, with an addi- tional commitment to work for

Forest Oil Corporation. Also under contract to Total is the 6,560-hp

Baffin Service, one of Zapata's new tug/supply/anchor handling ves- sels which will accompany the Za- pata Ugland to the North Sea and support the rig there.

The new Norwegian^flag rig is the latest of several semi's in the industry designed especially for se- vere environment areas such as the

North Sea, and in many ways, it is one of the most advanced. The semisubmersible design permits the rig to drill while up to 80 feet of the 140-foot distance from the keels of its catamaran lower hulls to its ity while retaining tlhe highly mo- bile characteristics of that rig type.

The rig is capable of drilling in 1,000-foot water depths to a depth of 25,000 feet. It can perform some operations in seas up to 50 feet, re- main moored in 125-knot winds and 100-foot seas, and has a moor- ing system for 1,000-foot water depths. Its self-propulsion system gives it a cruising speed of more than nine knots, and a "3,000-ton variable deckload capacity allows it to go for long periods without resupply. The rig achieved speeds as high as 11 knots during sea trials.

Principal Dimensions

Length lower hulls 367 ft.

Overall width 210 ft.

Each lower hull width 40 ft.

Separation between lower hulls 130 ft.

Lower hulls depth 25 ft.

Number of stabilizing columns 6

Length of stabilizing columns 100 ft.

Diameter of stabilizing columns 30 ft.

Height of low steel 125 ft.

Height to upper deck 140 ft.

Depth of upper hull 15 ft.

Upper deck width 186 ft.

Upper deck length 240 ft.

Diameter of struts and braces 8 ft.

Drilling draft 80 ft.

Drilling displacement 30 ,000 S .T.

Severe storm draft 65 ft.

Severe storm displacement 27, 500 S .T.

The Zapata Ugland is the first offshore drilling rig owned by Nor- way's diversified Ugland group of companies, which have a shipping heritage dating Iback more than 200 years, and have participated in sev- eral petroleum exploration groups.

It is the 23rd rig to he operated by a subsidiary of Zapata Corporation, a diversified natural resources com- pany which now operates 15 rigs, with another five rigs under con- struction.

Among the honored guests at the commissioning ceremonies were:

J.J. Ugland, president of Ugland

Shipping, and Mrs. Ugland, the rig's sponsor; A.K.L. Ugland, chairman of Ugland Shipping, and

Mrs. Ugland; William H. Flynn, chairman of Zapata Corporation, and Mrs. Flynn; Ralph A. Leaf, general manager of Bethlehem

Shipyard, Beaumont; Oddvar Lae- greid, Norwegian consular repre- sentative, and Mrs. Laegreid; Rob- ert T. Young, chairman and presi- dent of the American Bureau of

Shipping; Louis LeTherisien, op- erations manager of Total Oil Ma- rine, Ltd., and Mrs. LeTherisien;

David Dorn, executive vice presi- dent of Forest Oil Corporation, and

Mrs. Dorn; J.B. Harrison, presi- dent of Zapata Corporation, and

Mrs. Harrison; E.F. Shiels, execu- tive vice president of Zapata Cor- poration and chairman of Zapata

Ugland Drilling, Inc., and J.P.

Johnson, president of Zapata Off-

Shore Company, and Mrs. Johnson.

Key Features— • Capable of operating efficient- ly year around in deep water and severe environments, with a high degree of mobility. • Catamaran design lower hulls with six stability columns support- ing a watertight upper hull. • Can drill in water depths from 150 -to 1,000 feet. • Can operate in seas of up to 50 feet. • Can remain moored in seas of up to 100 feet. • Has variable deckload capacity of 3,000 tons. • Self - propelled, with target speed in excess of nine knots. • Load capacity permits all movements to be made with an- chors and anchor chains stowed aboard vessel. • Mooring system for at least 1,000 feet of water.

Design Considerations—

Design wave: 100-foot height with 15-second period.

Design wind: 125 knots sustain- ed wind.

Design analyses: SEALOAD program evaluated 100-foot wave loading passing through the moor- ed platform for approach angles of 0, 22^2, 45, 6and 90 degrees.

SEALOAD results were input to

STRAN program to determine principal truss, beam, strut, diag- onal and joint reactions and stresses.

Structural steel: Cold weather steel for 0 degrees F. Normalized

ABS Grade C and CS for high- ly stressed areas and principal members. '

Fatigue evaluation: Evaluation of fatigue life capability of prin- cipal members.

Structural test: A one-quarter scale model of column-joint con- nection structure was tested at

Soutihwest Research Institute.

Variable Deckload Capacity —

Mud and cements, 20,000 cubic (Continued on next page) Zapata Ugland will work in the deck is below water, adding stabil-

The Zapata Ugland is shown as she was moved from Bethlehem Ship- The 6,560-horsepower rugged tug/supply/anchor handling yard, Beaumont, Texas, to her completion site. The giant semisubmersi- vessel Baffin Service will accompany the new semisubmersible ble rig cleared this railroad drawbridge with just a few feet to spare. Zapata Ugland to her initial assignment in the North Sea.

June 1, 1974 7