Lamprell cheers key milestone on second jack-up for Saudi yard

UAE-based offshore fabrication contractor Lamprell and International Maritime Industries (IMI) have announced the completion of the load-out and float-off of the second jack-up drilling unit being constructed for IMI.

The IMI shipyard is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco, Bahri, Lamprell, and HHI. Lamprell secured the order to build two jack-up rigs for IMI back in January 2020.

The load-out and float-off milestone for the second jack-up follows the successful load-out and float-off of the first rig in May this year.

Lamprell and IMI said in a statement on Tuesday that the second new rig will now undergo intensive mechanical completion and commissioning before being transferred to IMI’s yard in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, for final commissioning before local deployment.

The two rigs are based on the Super 116E (enhanced) class design and feature high specification offshore drilling technology, as well as accommodation for up to 120 people. The full scope of the project comprises the construction of two new state-of-the-art rigs, through a collaborative approach between the project teams at IMI and Lamprell.

Dr. Abdullah Al Ahmari, CEO of IMI, said: “Reaching this milestone marks the culmination of a key phase in our project with long-term partner, Lamprell, which is supporting IMI’s growth and development through technical knowledge transfer during the construction of the two state-of-the-art drilling units.”

Christopher McDonald, CEO of Lamprell, said: “We are proud to reach this key milestone for the second rig that we are constructing for our client, IMI. This has been achieved as a result of the dedication and commitment of both project teams and in spite of various challenges including notably COVID.”