Present

  • In November 1955, the first electromechanical, three-legged offshore s e l f - e l e v a t i n g drilling platform was launched from what was then R.G. LeTourneau's manufacturing facility on the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg.

    Christened Scorpion by its owner, Zapata Offshore Company, this self-elevating offshore drilling platform was designed to operate in 80 feet of water.

    That first-generation mobile offshore jackup rig was a giant step in the evolution of the offshore oil and gas industry. Earlier "mobile" offshore drilling platforms were often inland barges and drilling tenders, limited to the marshes and relatively safe shallow c o a s t a l w a t e r s of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Maracaibo.

    Although the triangularleg Scorpion's 80-foot operating depth is far less than the 300- to 350-foot capabilities of today's jackups, from another perspective it was a remarkable technological breakthrough. Scorpion's operating depth was twice that of its predecessors.

    The decade f r om the mid-fifties to mid-sixties saw a remarkable spurt of inventiveness in design and manufacturing t e c h n o l o gy for jackup rigs. Like most technological revolutions, the rapid and successful development of the jackup was tied directly to economic conditions. Vast amounts of offshore oil and gas were known to exist. These energy reserves were in demand and return on investment in offshore exploration and production was attractive.

    What had been missing was an economical, mobile, sturdy offshore d r i l l i n g p l a t f o r m from which experienced drilling contractors could exploit known offshore reserves. That piece of equipment had to be a true openwater vessel that could be safely towed to a drilling site, position itself securely, get the job done, then move on to the next location.

    Once those initial engineering and fabrication challenges were overcome, the trend in jackup design took the direction of expanding water depth, drilling depth and operating environment capabilities.

    This trend continues to dominate jackup technology today.

    The improvements that have taken place in jackup capability have historically been stimulated by the need to find and produce a d d i t i o n a l offshore energy reserves.

    Important desigri changes that increased operating water depths came d u r i n g t h e midsixties.

    A unit was developed t h a t could operate in 250 feet of water. This j a c k u p had slanted legs. This change was based on two factors: first, the types of steel then readily available could not withstand the calculated combined loads when the spud legs were in a vertical configuration; second, the slanted legs increased the rig's overturning moment without requiring a larger and heavier hull.

    These first slant leg jackups extended operating water depths by 100 feet. Later models of the slant leg self-elevating drilling platform could operate in over 300 feet of water.

    By the early seventies, the use of higher strength steels made it possible to build jackups with vertical legs that could operate in water depths up to 350 feet.

    Looking at the history of the offshore energy industry from our present perspective, it is accurate to say that the jackup is the success story of that industry.

    It provides the offshore drilling contractor with the essential advantage of a stable, fixed area from which to work. Once a jackup is on location, it also provides important time and cost advantages over floating drilling equipment.

    Of the several types of deepwater mobile offshore drilling units in use, jackups have proven they can drill more foot of hole per dollar spent.

    Statistics bear out the jackup's dominant role in offshore operations.

    At the start of 1981, there were 549 mobile offshore drilling rigs of all types. Of that total, 270 were jackups. Of the 204 mobile rigs on order or under construction at the start of the year, 152 were jackups. Jackups make up more than half of the total mobile offshore rig fleet. By the end of the eighties, the total number of jackups may well be 600.

    The current state-of-the-art in jackup design and manufacture c o n s i s t s of building versatile units that meet the wide variety of drilling contractor requirements while at the same time satisfying the guidelines of regulatory agencies. Offshore exploration and development drilling now takes place in a number of areas that have a variety of meteorological and other environmental characteristics. There are jackups specifically designed for remote, deeper water areas where weather conditions such as frequency of storms, excessive wind and wave heights must be taken into account. A totally different class of self-elevating platform is specifically designed for accessible areas where weather, water depth or remoteness from supply sources are not major obstacles.

    Between these two extremes of offshore operating environments are a number of other situations that call for jackups with different operating capabilities.

    In addition to providing units tailored for specific environments, the rig construction industry took a major step toward meeting operator requirements with the introduction of the cantilever drilling jackup. This feature is now found on shallow water, moderate environment units as well as on large, deepwater units that can withstand wave heights up to 88 feet.

    The incorporation of cantilever drilling into the jackup design concept added a remarkable degree of versatility. In rough waters, jackups provide a stable base so t h a t the cantilevered drilling package can remain extended and drilling operations continued.

    In addition, the cantilever lets the s e l f - e l e v a t i n g offshore drilling platform p e r f o r m p r o d u c t i on drilling and well servicing functions in addition to exploratory drilling. In those areas where there are a number of bottomsupported production platforms, a cantilever jackup can take up position next to such a permanent structure, cantilever its drilling package over the structure without placing any weight on the platform, and carry out whatever drilling and well servicing activities are called for. When working on very large production platforms, it is feasible to move the drilling structure onto the permanent platform and use the mobile platform as a tender. The cantilever jackup has thus become a valuable and economic tool for extending the productive lives of older offshore wells.

    In deeper waters, where there are fixed platforms that provide for multiple wells, cantilever jackups can drill exploratory or development wells in rough weather conditions that previously would have shut down drilling operations.

    They can do this without exerting dead or static loads normally brought to bear on sea floor units by package drilling units resting entirely on the fixed platform.

    This capability is extremely important in exploiting offshore oil and gas fields that previously had been judged as economically marginal. In such fields, the estimated recoverable reserves were not great enough to j u s t i fy large permanent, and costly, bottomsupported platforms from which to drill, complete and service multiple wells.

    Such a situation offers a glimpse of what the future may hold for jackup rig application. For example, a North Sea operator plans to cut development costs of the Morecambe Bay offshore gas field by approximately $240 million.

    Key elements in this plan are the use of jackup drilling platforms, a derrick package designed for slant drilling and a number of minimal fixed platforms.

    These bottom-supported, fixed platforms will be strategically placed so as to permit depletion of as much of the field's reserves as possible. These platforms will be smaller, less expensive and quicker to construct than if conventional drilling techniques were used from large fixed drilling platforms.

    The Morecambe Bay development plan calls for the self-elevating drilling platforms to be positioned alongside each of the minimal platforms. The drilling packages with slant drilling capabilities will then be skidded onto or cantilevered over the fixed platforms. Flexible control and drilling fluids lines will extend from the mobile platform to the drilling floor. With the mobile platform serving as tender, the jackup can move from fixed platform to fixed platform drilling and completing development wells to bring the field on stream and generate early cash flow.

    Another innovative use of jackup drilling rigs presently under c o n s i d e r a t i o n is a mobile, retrievable early production system.

    Such a system would be made up of a sea-floor concrete and steel storage unit, the jackup with a portable drilling template, and sea-floor as well as surface controls. The mobile p l a t f o rm would carry the drilling and production hardware.

    Again, worldwide energy supply and demand factors will play a key role in the acceptance of such a system. This kind of retrievable, "reusable" system may well meet offshore requirements for lower total investment in early development of marginal fields. The system could be used to develop fields estimated at less than 500,000 barrels per day of crude production over a productive life of less than 10 years.

    More immediately, a definite trend in jackup design is toward increasing not only the operating water depth but also the jackup's capacity to store consumable items such as fuel, cement, pipe, drilling mud, potable and nonpotable water, etc. Three criteria, namely operating water depth, drilling depth, and variable load capacity are directly related to environments in which the new "super" jackups will be operating.

    This new generation of super jackups includes a massive unit that can operate under those extremely hostile c o n d i t i o n s of weather, water depth and remoteness which presently constitute the major frontiers of offshore operations. This "hostile environment" jackup can not only operate in these regions but can be safely towed from location to location under sea conditions that previously would have prohibited relocation. Such conditions exist in the North Sea, off the coasts of southern Africa and eastern Asia, both coasts of North and South America, and the Bering Sea. On location wave heights up to 88 feet combined with wind speeds of 100 knots were some of the factors that had to be accounted for in designing such a rig.

    An important factor in the development of a jackup with these capabilities has been the effective use of higher strength steels to keep hull weight to a minimum and at the same time provide maximum strength.

    The newest member of the jackup family is a unit specifically designed for those offshore areas where conditions are labeled "harsh" rather than "hostile." This unit's strong suit is its greater capacity to store more consumable items necessary for offshore drilling at greater distances from supply bases. This capability is a necessity because in most harsh offshore areas, frequent scheduled re-supply of consumables is impractical and unpredictable.

    Speculation about the f u t u r e of any facet of offshore operations is risky. As for f u r t h e r development of the self-elevating offshore drilling platform, there will p r o b a b l y not be any radical changes in the basic jackup design in the near future. However, the proven and tested elements of this design will probably be f u r t h e r refined under the stimulus of worldwide demand for oil and gas. As a result, we may see operating water depths reach beyond the 300-400 foot maximums of the present. Storm rat- New York Office: JOTUN-Baltimore Copper Paint 74 Trinity Place/Suite 402 New York, N.Y 10006 (212)962-6500 Telex 8-7549 ings may increase and new techniques may permit the jackup to go on and off location in greater wave heights than permissible today.

    Any of these developments are contingent on a number of economic and geopolitical factors.

    One certainty is that the established jackup rig builders have demonstrated the expertise and capacity to build units that will go anywhere drilling contractors search for offshore oil and gas.

  • Forum, cosponsored by The Society of Marine Port Engineers New York, N.Y., Inc. and the State University of New York Maritime College, was "Fuels — Present and Future." The day-long meeting was held recently on the SUNY Maritime College campus at Fort Schuyler, Bronx, N.Y. Co-chairmen of this year's

  • meeting- of the New England Section of The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers was held in Newton, Mass., where two student papers were presented. The first, titled Practical Considerations for Selection of High-Speed Marine Diesel Engines, was presented by John F. Duclos, a recent graduate of

  • The New England Section of The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers recently met at Valles Steak House in Newton, Mass., to hear the presentation of two excellent student papers. Forty-five members gathered for the occasion. Following cocktails and dinner, the technical meeting was

  • The Marine Committee of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Gas Turbine Division is presenting a program at the Gas Turbine Conference in Zurich between March 30 and April 4, 1974. This program consists of 13 interesting and timely papers as well as a Forum on Marine Gas Turbines. The marine

  • boom turned to bust from 2007 to 2009, with decreasing M&A deal flow and overall reduced company valuations. The red numbers on the graph in Figure 1 represent the average multiple of operating earnings, or EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) for each year. The EBITDA multiple

  • be proud. This is our annual United States Coast Guard edition, and it could best be dubbed the “Christmas Carol” edition as we examine USCG Past, USCG Present and USCG Future. First looking back (but not too far back), and in step with our continued celebration of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News’ 75th

  • Virtually every shipping company today uses noon reports to understand and monitor what is happening on their ships. These reports are traditionally sent by the Captain every day, based on data gathered manually by the crew. The content and format of the report is usually pre-agreed by the company and sent

  • MarineNews recently visited the Blount Boats facility in Warren, Rhode Island. While the year 2019 might be the ‘year of the woman’ in the eyes of the International Maritime Organization, the two women at the head of Blount Boats – Marcia & Julie Blount– have been a driving force in the U.S. boatbuilding

  • shipyard can construct vessels up to 400 feet in length, drydock vessels up to 4,000 tons and perform topside repairs on ships as long as 800 feet. At present, Atlantic Marine is building three 200-foot casino-dinner boats for the Steam Development Corporation of Davenport, Iowa. Delivery of the vessels

  • of Naval Engineers (ASNE) recognizes outstanding members of the naval engineering community through its annual awards program. These awards will be presented at the Society's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., the first week of May, which will mark ASNE's centennial celebration. Each year consideration

  • Group is one of the largest integrated operators in port and maritime logistics in Brazil. The company has more than a century of experience and is also present in shipbuilding and offshore support services. Its towage fleet is present in ports all along Brazil’s lengthy coast. In Rio, the group has a number

  • MT May-25#13  operations, this technology presents a direct physical 
threat)
    May 2025 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 13

    undersea data cables are increasing- San Diego, CA ly vital for communication, scienti? c data transfer, and even military operations, this technology presents a direct physical threat to critical infrastructure. Imagine the impact of a deliberate cut to a vital undersea Scan for info cable in the Arctic

  • MR Jun-25#43   What the summary fails to present  tic tanker tonnage is)
    June 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 43

    company we ily useful, privately owned vessels.” Let’s remember, the absence of domes- know them well. There is no doubt any What the summary fails to present tic tanker tonnage is the current price owning company or private investment is the bureaucratic operating restric- indication to build and the

  • MR Jun-25#37  can help project developers present their case with 
cial)
    June 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 37

    ties which have not worked with these types of projects. LNG projects or requirements to meet strict environment, so- ABS can help project developers present their case with cial and governance credentials. appropriate risk and impact mitigations which will help to This could lead to faster funding rounds

  • MR Jun-25#33  future is increasingly the present.  The takeaways are clear:)
    June 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 33

    toward zero emissions exploring hybrid and electric options.” as infrastructure and budgets allow.” What once felt like the future is increasingly the present. The takeaways are clear: emissions have dropped dramati- Hybrid systems, which combine traditional diesel engines cally, operational costs have

  • MR Jun-25#19 NICK GUERTIN
As the present administration draws)
    June 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 19

    NICK GUERTIN As the present administration draws to a close, can you wrap up your accomplish- ments and outline the challenges that still exist? Even after a year I felt like I was still new to the job. But I was not new to this type of work, and was able to bring in that experience. I’m satis? ed

  • MR Jun-25#6  as the 
HQ
trade press [present company 
118 E. 25th)
    June 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 6

    Editorial MARITIME REPORTER AND ENGINEERING NEWS M A R I N E L I N K . C O M or as much coverage as the HQ trade press [present company 118 E. 25th St., 2nd Floor New York, NY 10010 USA included] pays to energy T +1.212.477.6700 Ftransition, future fuels, and CEO electri? cation, a neophyte to the

  • MN May-25#27  high, with  a view that the present situation would turn)
    May 2025 - Marine News page: 27

    exports for the 2024-25 Concerning barges on the inland waterways, he took marketing year are forecast to hit a three-year high, with a view that the present situation would turn around. In the Mississippi River system playing a critical role.” his report, he offered that: “There had been a narrative

  • MN May-25#23  infrastructure.
barges present challenges for the existing)
    May 2025 - Marine News page: 23

    funding for the Corps of Engineers ly designed for smaller barges, today’s larger 35-foot-wide is essential for modernizing infrastructure. barges present challenges for the existing lock chamber, re- sulting in signi? cant delays and inef? ciencies. “We are currently limited to passing one barge at

  • MN May-25#13  learning oppor-
of who’s present during an actual emergency)
    May 2025 - Marine News page: 13

    organizations can trans- and versatile crew, ready to respond effectively regardless form routine safety drills into meaningful learning oppor- of who’s present during an actual emergency. tunities. Not only does this approach increase engagement and retention, but it also cultivates a proactive safety cul- Harnes

  • MR Apr-25#27  and building modern FPSOs present their 
own challenges)
    April 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 27

    money building gas carriers than I am building FPSOs,” observed Tremblay. FPSO MAINTENANCE & THE DIGITAL SHIFT While designing and building modern FPSOs present their own challenges, once built and operational a growing chal- lenge for FPSO operators is maintaining these larger, more technically complex

  • MR Apr-25#17  worked with a single fuel  presented three strategies for)
    April 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 17

    he Maritime industry has worked with a single fuel presented three strategies for an alternative energy future: source for over a century and with the rush to meet - a hydrogen economy coupling electric power and emission standards in both domestic and foreign hydrogen fuel, Tmarkets, adapting to

  • MT Mar-25#23  new ROVs  Workforce shortages present a signi?  cant challenge)
    March 2025 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 23

    smaller containerized remotely operated ve- world’s harshest conditions.” hicles (ROVs) as a signi? cant advancement. The new ROVs Workforce shortages present a signi? cant challenge in ad- will enhance the widely used Jason system by offering greater dition to ? eet size constraints. Hiring and keeping

  • MT Mar-25#10  DEFENSE  MINE WARFARE
UNCLEAR PRESENT DANGER
The Future of)
    March 2025 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 10

    SUBSEA DEFENSE MINE WARFARE UNCLEAR PRESENT DANGER The Future of Mine Warfare Is Deception “All warfare is based on deception,” writes Sun Tzu in his seminal work, The Art of War. “When using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away.” By David

  • MT Mar-25#2  Subsea Defense
   
Unclear Present Danger
   The future)
    March 2025 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 2

    March/April 2025 On the Cover Image courtesy ecoSUB Robotics Volume 68 • Number 3Volume68 • Number3 10 Subsea Defense Unclear Present Danger The future of mine warfare is deception. By David Strachan 22 Research Vessels Building Back Better Research vessels remain the heart of ocean explorati

  • MN Mar-25#37 .”
Workforce shortages present a sig-
ni?  cant challenge)
    March 2025 - Marine News page: 37

    far exceeds our capac- ity,” Applegate said. “We need more global-class vessels that can work in the world’s harshest conditions.” Workforce shortages present a sig- ni? cant challenge in addition to ? eet size constraints. Hiring and keeping mariners, technicians, and scientists in their positions

  • MN Mar-25#20  investment climate is present for 10.5 GW 
wind installation)
    March 2025 - Marine News page: 20

    unlikely to be impacted by the order. Moderate risk amid components and related goods such as specialized offshore the unfavorable investment climate is present for 10.5 GW wind installation vessels. For offshore wind vessels, the of projects which secured necessary permits but have not credit is 10% of

  • MT Jan-25#16  Sea-ice from the NOC Near Present 
Day NEMO ocean model)
    January 2025 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 16

    broader impacts of Antarctic sea ice loss, to the atmosphere. With the blanket removed, heat is lost into Declining Antarctic Sea-ice from the NOC Near Present Day NEMO ocean model simulation. Colors show the difference of June to July 2023 from June to July 1991- 2020, blue shows less ice around much of

  • MR Feb-25#36  country)
    February 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 36

    Systems publication there are “361 ports, and 3.3 million square miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to secure”. The country's maritime borders present a formidable task for security agencies. By Bert Macesker, & Dr. Joe DiRenzo, USCG Research and Development Center ow for a comparison - The combined

  • MR Feb-25#23  for proving cleanability at present. 
LR is therefore collaboratin)
    February 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 23

    of their coatings. This data included scienti? c measurements, although there are no in- ternational test standards for proving cleanability at present. LR is therefore collaborating with laboratories, including Plymouth Marine Laboratory, DHI in Scandinavia and Geoffrey Swain at the Florida Institute

  • MR Feb-25#18  here in Norway. Jotun is present in  age algorithms that)
    February 2025 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 18

    set across our key markets, including our We have established the HullKeeper system where we lever- main central R&D laboratory here in Norway. Jotun is present in age algorithms that can help predict the risk of a vessel. We four market segments, but if we drill down to shipping and the can have retrospective

  • MN Jan-25#40  time, the new technologies present their own unique  checks)
    January 2025 - Marine News page: 40

    alerts ing increasingly popular within the marine industry. At the users to common issues and walks them through visual same time, the new technologies present their own unique checks, olfactory tests, in-device checks, and checks when challenges. DENIOS, long a player in the design and charging to identify

  • MN Jan-25#13  and beyond to aggressively represent our 
members’ interests)
    January 2025 - Marine News page: 13

    our thinking, our actions, and everything we do. Along with this steadfast commitment to safety, PVA will continue in 2025 and beyond to aggressively represent our members’ interests in Washington D.C. The goal of our advo- cacy program remains focused on fostering a positive business atmosphere for our

  • MN Jan-25#4  and electric propulsion present their own 
Tel: 212-477-6700)
    January 2025 - Marine News page: 4

    of workboat propulsion – it CIRCULATION Kathleen Hickey • [email protected] is also clear that the advent of batteries and electric propulsion present their own Tel: 212-477-6700 ext 6320 unique challenges, especially in way of safety. All those new ferries and mariners need to be protected. It

  • MR Dec-24#43  the school)
    December 2024 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 43

    is a student-led shooting at us,” recalled Niel. The constant threat of death organization responsible for upholding the school's Honor was ever-present, especially during intense periods like the Code. Students pledge to maintain the highest standards of four months of relentless shelling in France