Beacon Group orders ice class rig

Beacon Holdings has ordered a GM4-D design ice class semi-submersible from Yantai CIMC Raffles

JANUARY 17, 2014—Beacon Holdings Group has ordered a harsh environment ice class semi-submersible GM4-D rig from offshore rig builder Yantai CIMC Raffles that will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2016.  The contract contains an option to build a second rig.

To be named the Beacon Atlantic, the rig is designed by Global Maritime and will be built to operate in water depths of up to 500 meters and drill wells down to 8,000 meters. It will be equipped with NOV-drilling package, DP3 and an 8-point mooring system.

The unit is designed to be able to operate in harsh weather conditions in the North Sea, Arctic environments and in the Barents Sea. It is built after NMA, NORSOK and PSA-standard and will be classed by DNV-GL.

Beacon Atlantic is the second semi-submersible rig with GM4-design contracted to CIMC Raffles. The first one is North Dragon, currently under construction.

The shipyard also confirms in a release that it is the company ordering the North Dragon, North Sea Rig AS who will lead both rig projects.

CIMC Raffles has fabrication yards in Yantai, Haiyang and Longkou, Shandong Province, P.R. China