Lamprell, GustoMSC to develop LJ43 jackup design
Lamprell has announced its collaboration with GustoMSC to develop the Lamprell Jackup-43 (LJ43) jackup design, creating an advanced drilling rig with the highest level of safe, efficient and reliable drilling capabilities.
The LJ43 drilling rig will combine Lamprell’s system integration capability, detailed engineering expertise and construction experience with technology of GustoMSC designs. The rig utilizes GustoMSC’s leg design with a custom-designed hull and living quarters developed by Lamprell. It includes various high-end technology features, such as a new innovative blowout preventer handling system and enhanced skidding capabilities via an X-Y cantilever, which will enable optimized drilling.
Lamprell and GustoMSC also announced that International Maritime Industries (IMI) and its drilling client, ARO Drilling, have selected the LJ43 design as the base for the jackup rigs that are to be built at the IMI yard in Ras Al Khair in eastern Saudi Arabia. Lamprell is a 20% shareholder in the IMI joint venture. The rig design has been developed by Lamprell and GustoMSC, with a view to meeting ARO Drilling’s specific operational needs and drilling requirements for use in the Gulf region. ARO Drilling has announced plans to order at least 20 drilling jackup rigs for construction at the new IMI yard, and Lamprell plans to support the IMI with the construction of parts of the first two jackups.
“We have a long-established collaboration with GustoMSC, one of the world’s leading rig design houses, and this continues with the exclusive development of a proprietary design for jackup rigs combining state-of-the-art technology with optimized construction techniques,” Christopher McDonald, CEO of Lamprell, said. “In combination with our strategic investment into the IMI joint venture, this design strengthens our competitive position in our core rig market. An exciting development is the choice of the LJ43 rig design by ARO Drilling for the newbuild jackup rigs to be built at the new IMI maritime yard. We would like to thank both ARO Drilling and IMI for this decision and look forward to working closely with them in this regard.”
“We are excited to team up again with Lamprell in jointly developing the LJ43 and further strengthen our great working relation which started more than a decade ago,” Nils van Nood, CEO of GustoMSC, said. “At the same time we are honored and grateful that the ARO Drilling expert team took the effort to evaluate our innovative solutions with a very open mind. That gave us all the opportunity to exchange ideas and to develop the optimal solution for ARO Drilling’s mission, which will provide a strong contribution to implementing the Saudi Vision 2030.”
