PRESS RELEASE
Keppel FELS and PV Drilling name identical twin rigs on 09/09/09
Expected early deliveries of about 1.5 months for both jackups
Singapore, 9 September 2009 – For the first time in rig history, two identical jackup rigs
have been named together by Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS) and its customer
PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corp (PV Drilling).
The naming of the twins, PV Drilling II and PV Drilling III, was witnessed by Senior Minister
of State (SMS) for Trade & Industry, Mr S Iswaran at Keppel FELS today. Both rigs are built
to Keppel’s proprietary KFELS B Class design, which is a choice rig for discerning drilling
operators worldwide.
Well on track for early deliveries this year, PV Drilling II and PV Drilling III, will add to the
current count of 28 KFELS B Class units that have entered the global offshore market since
2000.
SMS Iswaran said, “The early completion and delivery of PV Drilling II and III marks yet
another milestone in the deepening relationship between our two nations. It will put
Singapore’s maritime cluster in good stead to support Vietnam’s growing oil and gas sector.
“Today’s naming of the twin rigs once again underscores the strengths and capabilities of
Keppel and Singapore’s marine and offshore industry. Our shipyards have long established
a strong reputation for quality and timeliness. They have also gained prominence for their
ability to offer specialised services and handle sophisticated projects.”
It is estimated that there will be some 900 exploration wells in Vietnam over the next 15
years. To meet the tight exploration schedule, PV Drilling intends to make capital
investments of around VND 27.4 trillion (US$ 1.7 billion) from now till 2025 to build and
operate an 11-strong fleet of offshore and onshore rigs.
Mr Do Van Khanh, CEO of PV Drilling and Chairman of PVD Invest said, ”We want to
position ourselves to capture Vietnam’s growing market for oil and gas services with the
support of a strong and reliable shipyard that can deliver projects punctually, on budget and
without incidents.
“We are very pleased with the excellent work Keppel FELS has done on PV Drilling II and
PV Drilling III. Having worked with them on several important projects, we are convinced that
they are the best people to help us build our highly specialised rig fleet.”
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Mr Tong Chong Heong, CEO of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), said, “We are
excited to mark Keppel and Vietnam’s quarter-century partnership with the historical naming
of two jackup rigs for PV Drilling.
“High levels of engineering and construction efficiency have been achieved on the twin rigs
due to our rich experience in building repeat KFELS B Class jackups, and the excellent team
work with our customer. We are honoured that PV Drilling has chosen Keppel FELS time
and again for their milestone projects.”
The KFELS B Class rig is be able to operate in water depths of 400 ft with a drilling depth of
30,000 ft. Versatility of PV Drilling III has been further enhanced with features like engines
that meet more stringent emission standards and lower spud can bearing pressure for
operation in areas with soft soil conditions.
Designed for maximum uptime with reduced emissions and discharges, the KFELS B Class
rig recently won the Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award 2009 from Institution of
Engineers Singapore for its environmentally-friendly features.
Keppel FELS has been involved in the Vietnamese offshore market for 25 years having
completed the Hoang Sa, a 1,200-tonne floating crane in 1984 and Vietnam’s first jackup rig,
the Tam Dao I in 1988. More recently, in 2007, it delivered Vietnam’s first KFELS B Class
jackup, PV Drilling I, ahead of schedule and within budget to PV Drilling.
Beyond the offshore market, sister company Keppel Land has also entrenched its leading
position with eight new real estate projects secured in 2007. Meanwhile Keppel Integrated
Engineering (KIE) is undertaking two wastewater treatment plants in Vietnam and has
secured an in-principle agreement with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee for
Vietnam’s first waste-to-energy plant.
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PV Drilling
The experiences of PV Drilling can be traced back to the establishment of PTSC Offshore
Services, as a division of Petroleum Technical Services Company, in 1994. After a decade
of development, PV Drilling has quickly expanded its portfolio of services to include drilling,
manpower provision, well services, tubular inspection and other activities related to a drilling
campaign. These services remain at the heart of the company and play an important role in
the development of PV Drilling as a major service provider to the oil and gas industry in
Vietnam.
Keppel FELS
Keppel FELS is a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), a whollyowned company of Keppel Corporation Limited. Keppel O&M is a leader in offshore rigs,
ship repair and conversion and specialised shipbuilding. Its near market, near customer
strategy is bolstered by a global network of 20 yards and offices in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of
Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and the North Sea regions. Integrating the
experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, the group aims to be the provider of choice
and partner in solutions for the offshore and marine industry.
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For further information, please contact:
Ivana Chua (Ms)
Assistant Manager
Keppel Group Corporate Communications
Tel: (65) 64136 434
Mobile: (65) 9239 1423
Email: ivana.chua@kepcorp.com
This press release is also available on www.kepcorp.com and www.keppelom.com
The speeches and pictures are also available on the website.
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