Keppel FELS and Workfox, a subsidiary of Seafox, have formed a partnership to conduct an engineering study of a new generation, multi-purpose jack-up rig, which will be equipped with well intervention and plug and abandonment (P&A) features.
The hull and legs of the jack-up rig feature KFELS J Class design, which supports operations in water depths of up to 112m in harsh offshore weather conditions in the Norwegian North Sea.
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The project, known as Seafox 8, will offer P&A services, well intervention services, accommodation services and crane support services.
Keppel and Workfox are also in talks on ordering the unit after the study’s planned completion in the second half of 2014.
Keppel claims that the Seafox 8 is anticipated to be 25%-30% more economical in terms of day rates, compared with existing methods of P&A.
The companies previously teamed up on the multi-purpose self-elevating platform Seafox 5, which has been used for both offshore wind installation and oil and gas accommodation and maintenance works.
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By GlobalDataThe new unit would be owned in a joint-venture between the two companies similar to the Seafox 5.
Seafox CEO Keesjan Cordia said: "With our background in providing accommodation support, workover, construction and decommissioning services to the offshore oil and gas industry, we noticed the strong demand for P&A services and identified a need for a specialised rig in this market.
"We believe the jack-up we are conceiving, Seafox 8, offers the ideal solution as it can work all year round, including during the North Sea’s winter period, and undertake multiple services at a time."
Keppel O&M Offshore and Keppel FELS managing director Wong Kok Seng said: "We have successfully developed and commercialised many proprietary concepts for a variety of offshore services and challenging frontiers by partnering our trendsetting customers in the early stages of those projects.
"For Seafox 8, we are taking the hull of an ultra-harsh environment rig in our KFELS J Class for use as an accommodation rig with equipment for P&A services."
Image: The hull and legs of the new generation jack-up rig will be based on Keppel’s new KFELS J Class design. Photo: courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/num_skyman.
