Semco Maritime carries out rig upgrades in Norway

Denmark’s Semco Maritime A/S is carrying out two contracts for Transocean in Tromsø and Bergen, Norway. One of the contracts involves the GVA-4000 design semi-submersible drilling unit Transocean Winner, a large rig that can operate in water depths up to 1500 m.

It will arrive at Bergen Group Hanøytangen’s shipyard on Askøy north of Bergen in August and in the following 45-50 days, Semco Maritime will carry out an extensive upgrade, repair and piping installations to optimize the rig for new projects in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The work will be carried out as a close cooperation between the Danish and Norwegian divisions of Semco Maritime and with local sub suppliers. Senior Vice President for rig repair, Hans-Peter Jørgensen, expects around 150 employees from Esbjerg and Stavanger to be working on Transocean Winner during its stay in Askøy.

“We have entered an agreement with Bergen Group, who will provide for yard facilities, personnel, logistics, anchoring and catering. We will carry out this contract employing staff from this partnership” says Mr. Jørgensen.

Bergen Group Hanøytangen says its work scope includes shipyard services, personnel, logistics, moorings, quay facilities and accommodation.

Semco Maritime’s other Transocean contract involves the  semi-submersible-rig, Polar Pioneer” which is being upgraded and repaired in Tromsø at the moment. The rig is scheduled to leave Tromsø again 19 June.

“These two contracts are our first rig projects in Norway for a number of years and they are an important step in the right direction to fulfil our strategy of serving Norwegian, British and Danish clients in the entire North Sea area. This is the first time we have the main contract for semi-submersibles, It is an interesting market, as upgrades of this type of rigs is more complex and extensive than upgrade of jack-up rigs,” says Hans-Peter Jørgensen.

June 21, 2011