Keppel AmFELS Inc., the US wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (Keppel O&M), has delivered its second jackup drilling rig for Scorpion Offshore (Scorpion) on time and within budget.

The delivery of Offshore Defender comes just five months after Keppel AmFELS completed its first jackup rig for Scorpion earlier this year.

A newly established drilling company, Scorpion has contracted Keppel AmFELS to build a fleet of five drilling rigs. Construction of the remaining three is progressing well on track, and the rigs are scheduled for delivery through 2008 to 2009.

Offshore Defender was christened by Mrs. Brenda B. Harvey, wife of Scorpion’s Director, Michael L. Harvey, at the Keppel AmFELS yard in Brownsville, Texas on 10 November 2007.

Mr Tong Chong Heong, Managing Director and COO of Keppel O&M said, “Keppel AmFELS has the experience and expertise to fulfil its commitment to its customer to construct and deliver a high quality premium jackup drilling rig within a tight schedule. This is no mean feat, especially during this period when labour and materials are very tight.”

Mr Tong, who is also the Chairman of Keppel AmFELS, continued, “At Keppel, we recognize that an organisation is only as good as its employees. We have been able to deliver high standard products and services because our people are adequately trained and equipped. That is why we continuously develop various industrial training programmes and schemes at the Keppel AmFELS Training Centre to enhance the skills of our employees.”

In 2007, Keppel AmFELS invested close to US$3 million for the training and development of its workforce. Recognising Keppel AmFELS’s commitment to the training of new and existing employees, the Texas Workforce Commission has recently awarded Keppel AmFELS and four other companies a total of US$733,538 for the creation and upgrading of skill-related jobs.

Located in Brownsville Texas, Keppel AmFELS is one of the best-equipped offshore yards in the area, serving customers operating in the Gulf of Mexico and internationally.

In addition to the construction of the Scorpion rigs, Keppel AmFELS is currently building a jackup rig each for Diamond Offshore, Atwood Oceanics and Perforadora Central. It has just secured an order of four jackup rigs from Rowan Companies.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation through Keppel Offshore & Marine, Keppel AmFELS engages in the construction, refurbishment, conversion, life extension and repair of a complete range of mobile drilling rigs and platforms. Its comprehensive facilities are first class, including a drydock capable of docking the largest semisubmersible drilling units, and a modern steel processing plant.

Scorpion Offshore Ltd. is a Bermuda based corporation founded in 2005 to own and operate state-of-the-art offshore drilling rigs.

Tags: Keppel AmFELS Inc., Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited