Hitachi Delivers Jackup Rig Built For O N G C Of India

The cantilever type jackup drilling rig Sugar Ratna, ordered by the Oil & Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) of India, was completed recently at the Osaka Works (Sakai) of Hitachi Zosen Corporation. Immediately following delivery, the rig left under tow for India, where it will begin drilling offshore Bombay.

The new unit is the 21st jackup drilling rig built by Hitachi Zosen, and the third built for ONGC. The company's rig backlog includes four more jackups, five semisubmersibles, and one drillship.

Designed and built to American Bureau of Shipping class, the Sugar Ratna's platform is 216.5 feet long, 200 feet wide, and 23 feet deep, with a draft of 13.6 feet. The rig's three legs are 420 feet long, permitting drilling in water depths up to 300 feet, to a well depth of 20,000 feet. It is designed to withstand winds of about 120 mph and waves more than 60 feet high.

As the spud tank can be completely retracted inside the platform, there are no protrusions from the platform bottom, making it easy and safe to tow the rig in shallow waters or to transport it on a barge or heavy-lift ship. An on-board computer will facilitate efficient rig operation by performing stability and leg load calculations, as well as aiding with drilling, spares management, and equipment maintenance.

Other stories from May 1985 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter

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