JDC rigs spinning drill bits in Middle East and Malaysia

Japanese offshore drilling company JDC has informed that two of its drilling rigs have recently started drilling operations; one for a client in the Middle East and other for a client in Malaysia. 

The driller said earlier this month that the Sagadril 1 rig began work with an undisclosed charterer in the Middle East.

Before this contract, both VesselsValue and JDC name Bunduq Company Limited as the rig’s last contract dating back from 2016.

Namely, Sagadril 1 worked on the El Bundok oil field located on the marine border between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. According to VesselsValue, the one-month contract was fixed on November 21, 2016, and began on December 1, 2016.

Sagadril 1, formerly known as Hakuryu 9, is a Mitsubishi MD T76J-9 self-elevating cantilever jack-up drilling rig, jointly designed by Japan Drilling Co. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It was commissioned on August 9th, 1984, at MHI’s Hiroshima shipyard.

All the main structural steel elements and superstructures for machinery are constructed of low-temperature alloy steel suitable for operations in -20°C ambient temperature. It can operate in a maximum water depth of 300 feet and can drill as deep as 20,000 feet.

Malaysia

In addition, JDC informed that it started drilling operations offshore Malaysia using the Hakuryu 5 semi-submersible rig under a contract for MDC Oil & Gas Ltd. and Petronnic Sdn. Bhd. on December 27, 2017. The latest AIS data places the rig several miles offshore Sabah, Malaysia.

Prior to the deal with MDC, JDC’s Hakuryu-5 was hired by Gazpromneft Sakhalin to drill the first prospecting and appraisal well on the Ayashsky block in the Sea of Okhotsk. The drilling campaign began on June 10, 2017.

Offshore Energy Today Staff