22 September 2011, Sweetcrude, Lagos- Transocean’s GSF Rig 140 has arrived Nigeria to undergo a planned 80-day maintenance and upgrade at the shipyard of Nigerdock, the ship repair and maintenace company, in Snake Island, Lagos.
This is the first time a semi-submersible drilling unit would undergo maintenance of this magnitude in Nigeria.
It is a major achievement for the Nigerian government’s local content policy as such maintenance were in the past handled in South Africa, Spain or Dubai even for facilities working in Nigerian oil fields.
Besides checking capital flight, Nigerians are expected to gain a lot of experience while working on the rig. Over 120,000 man-hours of work will be deployed, involving 180 Nigerians from a combination of
Transocean, Nigerdock and other sub-contractors.
A scheduled overhaul and upgrade will be undertaken on the rig’s operational systems, including the derrick (or drilling mast), the top drive, crown block and the travelling block systems.
Some piping systems will also be replaced, coating operations performed and an upgrade will be undertaken of the closed circuit television (CCTV) system.
With Transocean’s stringent standards and delivery requirements for Rig 140, Nigerdock was selected as
the main contractor because of its capability, safety record and competence to deliver such a strategic project as demonstrated during the maiden maintenance upgrades with GSF Adriatic VIII in late 2009.
Gabriel Oramasionwu, managing director, Transocean’s Gulf of Guinea Division, said: “Our driver is largely based on in-country capacity building and developing local competencies and capabilities which are aligned with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.
“In 2009, we partnered Nigerdock and executed the first ever shipyard project in Nigeria involving a jack-up rig. Last year, in a shipyard involving a drillship which could not be readily done in-country, we still partnered Nigerdock and other Nigerian contractors and performed the work in Las Palmas, Spain”.
He said a majority of those workers are engaged in this current project on the Rig 140, thereby ensuring in-country capacity and capability are retained in Nigeria.
According to Oramasionwu, Transocean has been in operation in Nigeria for over half a century and the historical event further demonstrates its commitment to the growth of the oil industry and Nigeria at large, and the implementation of the Nigerian National Content Development initiative.
