Pride dedicates Deep Ocean Clarion drillship
Pride International, Inc. on 25 Aug dedicated the second of its four new deepwater drillships, the Deep Ocean Clarion at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea. The company expects to take delivery of the rig in September 2010. The rig will mobilize to the US Gulf of Mexico on a five-year contract with BP slated to being in the first quarter of 2011.
In the shipyard ceremony, Louis A Raspino, Pride International President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “The addition of the Deep Ocean Clarion to our fleet further strengthens Pride’s presence in the deepwater. These drillships represent the best, most technologically advanced generation of rigs. The Deep Ocean Clarion, built by Samsung with an outstanding safety record, will be strategic to our client’s worldwide drilling needs.”
All of Pride’s new drillships have a significant complement of high specification equipment. The Clarion, fully capable of dual-drilling activity, can drill in water depths of to 12,000 ft. It is equipped with a 165-ton advanced heave compensated crane, advanced dynamic positioning systems, a 6,000-bbl active fluid storage and handling system, and significant storage and deck space.
The Clarion and its three sister ships in the new-build construction program are key to Pride’s commitment to expand its presence in the deepwater sector, the company said. Pride’s revenues from its floating rigs are expected to grow to more than 90% when these units are delivered and operating.
The next drillship to be delivered in the four-rig construction program is the Deep Ocean Mendocino, with an expected first quarter 2011 delivery, followed by the Deep Ocean Molokai in the fourth quarter of 2011.
