Page 7: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 15, 1977)

Marathon Manufacturing

Adds $61 Million To

Drilling Rig Backlog

Marathon Manufacturing Com- pany, Houston, Texas, has an- nounced that with firm construc- tion contracts negotiated in Au- gust for four of its offshore jackup drilling rigs, a total of $61 million has been added to its marine construction backlog.

The contracts for Marathon jackup rigs are with the Penrod

Drilling Company and Keydril

Company, both Texas-based firms.

Prior to the four new contracts,

Marathon's marine backlog was at $72.7 million and with the ad- ditional $61 million, the Marathon offshore drilling rig backlog is at $133.7 million. In addition, Mara- thon has two pending agreements totaling $29.3 million to cover the construction of two of its jackup drilling rigs. Contract signing is expected shortly. When these con- tracts are complete, the marine backlog will amount to $163 mil- lion.

Included in the $61 million are three offshore rigs being built for Penrod Drilling Company.

One unit will be a Marathon-class 116-C, a large cantilever-type jackup rig, and the second rig will be a Marathon-class 82-SD-C, a shallow-draft cantilever jackup rig. Both units will be built at

Marathon's Vicksburg, Miss., yard, with deliveries scheduled for November 1978, and March 1979. The third Penrod unit will be a Marathon-class 116 to be built at the firm's Clydebank,

Scotland, shipyard. It is sched- uled for delivery in October 1978.

This unit utilizes the purchase option for a second rig Marathon granted the British National Oil

Corporation when BNOC signed a speculative rig contract in April of this year. The speculative rig, also a Marathon-class 116, has been purchased by Penrod Drill- ing Company, and is scheduled for delivery from the Clydebank yard in June 1978.

A fourth contract has been signed with Keydril Company for a Marathon-class 116 rig to be built at the firm's Brownsville,

Texas, shipyard. The rig has been designated the Key Galveston, and is scheduled for delivery in

May 1978.

The recent strength of the off- shore drilling rig construction market, especially for Marathon- type rigs, leaves the company with one 1978 delivery position remaining in its Singapore yard for which construction could start immediately, and space in its oth- er three yards for delivery posi- tions in 1979, in which construc- tion activity could start mid to late 1978.

Marathon Manufacturing Com- pany is a multiproduct firm serv- ing industries in marine construc- tion and transportation, heavy equipment and steel products, as well as a group of diversified companies producing chemicals, batteries, consumer goods, and providing construction services.

American Atlantic

Modifies Description Of

New Vessel Service

The Maritime Subsidy Board has approved a request by Ameri- can Atlantic Shipping, Inc. (Amer- ican) to modify the description of designated service for three 2,000- dwt breakbulk vessels now being built for American at Equitable

Shipyards, Inc., New Orleans, La.

The three ships are being con- structed with the assistance of a construction-differential subsidy awarded on May 6, 1977.

The description of designated service has been changed from "between Miami and various ports throughout the Caribbean" to the following: Designated serv- ice, as used herein, shall refer to any voyage between any port on the U.S. East Coast, or Gulf

Coast, and any port on the Carib- bean Sea, West Indies, the Gui- anas and the Amazon River, in any order of rotation whatsoever, as approved by the U.S. Coast

Guard.

The change was made to ensure that the earlier, incorrect de- scription could not be construed as legal restriction of American's operating range with specified manning. -now gives brighter, clearer echoes on a clutter-free screen* • Suppresses sea and rain clutter • Suppresses noise and interference • Makes echoes brighter -with more contrast • Makes echoes longer

All these improvements can now be had with the unrivalled DECCA Solid State 9,12 and 16 in relative and true motion displays and the famous AC display system, on both 3 and 10cm wavelengths.

ITT DECCA MARINE

P.O. Box G, Palm Coast, Florida 32037.

Telephone 904-445-2400.

September 15, 1977 13