Griffin & Alexander Jackup Rig Commissioned At Bethlehem-Beaumont

Griffin & Alexander Drilling Company and Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Beaumont, Texas, shipyard recently commissioned a 200-foot water depth, mobile offshore drilling rig. The rig was christened the Griffin-Alexander II by its sponsor, Mrs. Lea Alexander, wife of J.W. Alexander, president of Griffin & Alexander Drilling Company. The multimillion- dollar rig has been under construction for nearly 10 months and, upon delivery, will begin drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico for Mobil Oil Corporation.

Sherman C. Perry, general manager of the Beaumont shipyard, said the Griffin-Alexander II is the second of eight rigs that Bethlehem will deliver to Griffin & Alexander over the next two years. The first was delivered earlier this year. This commissioning also marks the fourth rig to be delivered this year by the Beaumont yard, as well as the 86th offshore rig delivered by Bethlehem yards.

The Griffin-Alexander II is a mat-supported jackup designed for deep-well drilling operations.

It features a cantilevered substructure and offers the capability of being able to position its drill floor over existing offshore production platforms in order to drill developmental wells or to rework existing wells.

On location, the rig will have a total variable load capacity of 4.5 million pounds and handle hook or rotary plus setback loads of 1 million pounds on wells as far as 35 feet aft of the platform deck. The rig will have a maximum cantilever reach of 45 feet with a hook/setback load capacity of 750,000 pounds at the rig centerline.

The rig consists of a platform measuring 157 feet by 132 feet supported by three 11-foot-diameter columns fixed to a mat that is 220 feet by 185 feet. Outfitted with deep-well drilling equipment, the rig can operate in waters of up to 200 feet while experiencing forces resulting from 70-knot winds and 33-foot seas. The Griffin-Alexander II contains onboard, air-conditioned living accommodations for 50 persons, including sleeping quarters, galley, laundry and recreation facilities.

The rig was designed and built to comply with the current safety standards of the United States Coast Guard, plus the American Bureau of Shipping standards for construction of mobile offshore drilling units.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 35, Jul 15, 1981

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Maritime Reporter

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