GALLERY: Maersk Drilling’s final XLE jack-up named in South Korea

Maersk Drilling’s fourth and final XL Enhanced ultra harsh environment jack-up was named Friday morning at a ceremony held at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard in South Korea.

Bente Norheim, wife of Jan Norheim, Managing Director of BP Norge, named the rig Maersk Invincible.

Maersk Invincible is the final rig in a series of four ultra harsh environment jack-up rigs to enter Maersk Drilling’s fleet. The four jack-up rigs represent a total investment of $2.6bn. The first three jack-up rigs have been delivered from the Keppel FELS shipyard, while the Maersk Invincible will be delivered from DSME later in 2016.

After delivery from the yard, Maersk Invincible will mobilize to the North Sea and start a five-year firm contract with BP Norge for plug and abandonment work on the Valhall field in the Norwegian North Sea.

The estimated contract value for the firm contract is $812 million, including mobilization from South Korea to Norway, but excluding cost escalation.

Claus V. Hemmingsen, CEO of Maersk Drilling and Vice CEO of the Maersk Group, said: “With the naming of our fourth XLE jack-up, we are nearing the end of a newbuilding era for Maersk Drilling. Maersk Invincible will be the final XLE rig to enter our fleet.

“These highly advanced drilling rigs enable us to provide safe and efficient drilling operations to our customers on the Norwegian market and with the addition of Maersk Invincible, we will further strengthen our market leading position in Norway.”

Hemmingsen continued: “We look forward to working closely together with BP Norge on the Valhall field. I am confident that Maersk Invincible will live up to her name when she commences operation.”

According to Maersk Drilling, with a leg length of 206.8 m (678 ft) the rigs are the world’s largest jack-up rigs and are designed for year round operation in the North Sea, in water depths up to 150 m (492 ft).