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ABB to equip enhanced reliability drillship

Written by Nick Blenkey

BT-UDS WatermarkJUNE 5, 2013 — A DP3 drillship on order at the Jinhae, South Korea, shipyard of STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is to carry DNV’s “Enhanced Reliability” and DYNPOS AUTRO notations.

ABB has secured a contract covering electrical power and propulsion systems onboard the BT-UTS design drillship, which has been ordered by Sigma Drilling, a joint venture between Norway’s Skeie Technology and Houston-based Vantage Drilling, for delivery in the second half of 2015

The new DYNPOS ER class notation for Enhanced Reliability from DNV recognizes advances made in flexibility, redundancy and fuel-efficiency in the structuring of DP systems. The notation covers connected power systems with standby start-up capabilities in specific conditions and the seamless and redundant change-over of generators and thrusters, via closed bus ties.

To meet DYNPOS ER and the DYNPOS AUTRO with closed ring requirements, the Sigma Drilling ship will feature ABB’s most advanced protection devices; fast bus communications based on IEC 61850 standards and integrated blackout prevention functions. DYNPOS ER has specific requirements for operational flexibility and the safe operation of the power and thruster plant onboard.

According to ABB’s Heikki Soljama: “This is a major advance in terms of system flexibility and enhanced reliability and winning this order underlines market confidence in our innovative approach to power and propulsion solutions and further strengthens our market leading position in the offshore drilling market.”

ABB is supplying a comprehensive package of power and propulsion plant and preventive maintenance systems onboard, including generator sets, switchboards, thruster motors, thruster drives, the drilling drive systems, Diesel Generator Monitoring System (DGMS) and Remote Diagnostic System (RDS).

The BT-UDS is a new design of drillship which has been developed by Bassoe Technology. Capable of drilling wells down to 40,00 0ft (12,190 m) in water depths of up to 12,000 ft (3650 m), the 232 m long, 38 m wide vessel will have a payload capacity of 25,000 tonnes. Six azimuthing thrusters combined with the Bassoe-developed hull form will provide a transit speed up to 16 knots.

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