Rowan takes delivery of newest jackup rig, the Bob Palmer

Petroleum News

Offshore contract driller Rowan Cos. said Aug. 18 that it has taken delivery of its newest jackup rig, the Bob Palmer. The rig's initial assignment will be to drill a 25,000 foot well in the Gulf of Mexico, which should begin within 30 days, the company said.

The Bob Palmer is an enhanced version of Rowan's Super Gorilla class jack-up, designated a Super Gorilla XL. The rig is outfitted with 713 feet of leg, 139 feet more than Gorillas V, VI or VII, and has 30 percent larger spud cans enabling operation in the Gulf in water depths up to 550 feet, Rowan said.

The Bob Palmer also will be able to operate in water depths up to 400 feet in the hostile environments offshore eastern Canada and in the North Sea, the company said.

Rowan financed $187 million of the rig's design and construction costs through an 18-year bank loan guaranteed by the U. S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration under its Title XI Program.