GlobalSantaFe takes delivery of new jackup

Petroleum News Houston staff

Offshore contract driller GlobalSantaFe has taken delivery of a new, high-performance jackup rig named Constellation I, the company said June 24.

The rig is contracted for a three-well program offshore Myanmar beginning in late July. The contract, estimated to take four months to complete, is valued at about $8.8 million, the Houston-based company said.

The Constellation II, an identical rig, is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2004. Constructed in the PPL Shipyard in Singapore, the Constellation I is capable of drilling to 30,000 feet in water depths of up to 400 feet. A 75-foot cantilever with a combined drill load capacity of 2.6 million pounds enables the rig to operate over a larger drilling pattern, the company said.

“The Constellation I is designed to increase drilling efficiency and to perform beyond traditional exploration and development drilling requirements,” said Jon Marshall, GlobalSantaFe’s chief executive officer.