Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS) is set to deliver a jackup rig ahead of schedule to Virtue Drilling, an associate company of India’s Jindal Drilling & Industries (Jindal).

Named in the presence of Guest-of-Honour, Dr Lee Boon Yang, Singapore’s Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, the jackup rig VIRTUE I, has also achieved a clean safety record of about 2.1 million manhours worked without incidents.

“In its strive for excellence in technology innovation and project execution, Keppel Offshore & Marine plays an important role in showcasing Singapore’s capabilities as a world leader in the design and construction of offshore drilling rigs. The successful completion of VIRTUE I attests to the potential of strong collaboration between Singaporean and Indian companies,” said Dr Lee at the naming ceremony.

“I am confident that there will be many opportunities for Singapore and Keppel to support India in the exploration and production of its rich oil and gas reserves, as India continues to grow as an influential global player,” he added.

VIRTUE I is the second jackup rig Keppel FELS has completed for Jindal and has been contracted by India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in the Indian Ocean for a period of five years. The first rig, DISCOVERY I was delivered in September this year, 49 days ahead of schedule and without incidents.

Mr Naresh Kumar, Managing Director of Jindal, said, “We are very pleased with the results of the strong collaboration between Jindal and Keppel on both our jackup rigs. DISCOVERY I left Keppel FELS and commenced operations for ONGC immediately without any downtime. The excellent performance of DISCOVERY I right from the start attests to the completion, quality assurance and operational readiness of rigs leaving Keppel FELS’ yards, which is of great value to rig-owners.

“With the successful completion of VIRTUE I, Keppel FELS has lived up to its reputation for timely deliveries that are within budget and without incidents. We look forward to taking delivery of VIRTUE I very shortly as she joins her sister rig in contributing to the growth of India’s offshore industry.”

Mr Choo Chiau Beng, Chairman and CEO of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), said, “India is enlarging its sphere in the global oil and gas industry, with its total hydrocarbon resources estimated in the region of 28 billion tonnes, and the government’s push to expand the local sector to reduce its dependence on oil imports. These factors present tremendous opportunities for exploration and production activities, and augur well for supporting clusters in the long run.

“We are honoured that Jindal has given us opportunities to strengthen its offshore fleet with two jackup rigs of our proprietary KFELS B Class design. We look forward to build on this strong partnership between our companies to support India’s growth as a major contender in global oil and gas.”

Tags: Jindal Drilling & Industries Ltd., Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited