Dubai delivers giant rig hull for Norwegian semi-sub
Posted: 28 April 2008
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Drydocks World – Dubai has delivered the giant Aker H-6e, semi-submersible drilling rig hull bound for Norway last week, the second vessel delivered within 8 months after delivering the first in August 2007.
Considering the massive size with a weight of 16,000 tonnes, this 120-metre long rig hull is claimed to be the world’s largest deepwater semi-submersible rig, the company said. It is one of the largest drilling rig hulls to be towed from the Dubai shipyard and will mate with the deck at Stord, Norway.
 Nawal Saigal, managing director of Drydocks World - Dubai, said: “This achievement is testimony to Dubai’s position as the most appropriate centre for being assigned giant projects that require advanced equipment and high-end technology.”
The huge bracings fabricated and installed between the twin hulls and columns have a diameter of up to 3.75 metres and plate thickness up to 50mm. Total weight of these bracings is about 1000 metres and length about 475 metres.
These bracings have been rolled in house, using the versatile rolling machine recently commissioned in the yard, the company said.
“They ensured the highest safety and security standards, which is reflected in the fact that no accidents occurred during the construction of the drilling rig hull given that more than 2,500 engineers, technicians and workers were involved in the project over a period of 14 months,” said Hans Petter Jacobsen, Business Manager of Aker Solutions.
Semi-submersible rigs have been specially designed to conquer the challenges of deepwater drilling operations in harsh environments and can drill up to 7,000 metres through rock while deployed in waters up to 3,000 metres deep, giving a maximum drill string length of 10,000 metres.
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