Singmarine Launches One Of WorlcTs Largest Well Stimulation Vessels For The Western Company

The well stimulation vessel Western Renaissance was recently launched by Singmarine Dockyard and Engineering Pte, Ltd., a subsidiary of Singmarine Industries, Ltd., for The Western Company of North America, Houston, Texas.

Singmarine Dockyard & Engineering, a leading builder and repairer of small and medium sized vessels in Southeast Asia, received the $52 million construction contract to build the vessel at its Tanjong Rhu Shipyard in 1990.

The Western Renaissance is currently undergoing its final outfitting at Singmarine's main yard in preparation for delivery to the Western Company later this year. With a length over all of 93.9 meters (308 feet) and a 20.5-meter (67.2-foot) breadth, Singmarine reports that the vessel is one of the largest ships of its type in the world.

The Western Renaissance will operate in the North Sea oil and gas fields of the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands and is equipped with an extensive storage and pumping capacity.

The ship has also been provided with several unique safety, environmental and reliability features that will allow it to operate in the harsh environment of the North Sea and still carry out its specialized functions. These include a fully redundant dynamic positioning system which will allow the vessel to complete a well stimulation job in the face of gale force winds by utilizing three bowthrusters and the main engines to keep the vessel in position.

To faciliate operations and to allow the ship to be resupplyed at sea, a large helideck certified to handle a steel-Super Puma type helicopter has been fitted forward of the bridge. Moreover, the vessel's separate pollution control system for containing corrosive and oily spillage allows rigid environmental standards to be maintained.

According to Sheldon R.

Erikson, chairman and chief executive officer of The Western Company: "The unique features of Western Renaissance, including pumping rates in excess of 90 barrels per minute, will result in significant cost and time savings and improved well production for the customer." The Western Renaissance will be operated by Western Petroleum Services International Company, which provides pressure pumping services worldwide on behalf of its parent company, The Western Company of North America.

Singmarine Industries, Ltd., is a member of the Keppel Group, a Singapore-based conglomerate engaged in shiprepair and shipbuilding, rigbuilding, property, shipping, transportation and telecommunications, banking and financial services as well as engineering.

The Keppel Group has a longstanding relationship with The Western Company. Singmarine's sister-company, Far East Levingston Shipbuilding (FELS), Ltd., built two jack-up rigs in 1981 and a semi-submersible in 1983 for The Western Company.

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