Ensco PLC has taken delivery of Ensco 120, the first in its series of three ultrapremium, harsh-environment jack up rigs. The rig is contracted to work for Nexen Inc. in the North Sea starting in the fourth quarter at a day rate of about $230,000 plus cost adjustments.
Ensco 120 was constructed at the Keppel FELS yard in Singapore and is now en route to the North Sea for final outfitting and crew familiarization. In jack up trials, the rig set a shipyard record when it was jacked up successfully to 539 ft on its 540-ft legs. The rig also successfully hoisted a 2.5-million-lb hook load at its full cantilever extension.
Ensco 121, the second rig in the series, is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter. It is contracted to work for Wintershall AG, also in the North Sea.
The jack up rigs are enhanced versions of the Keppel FELS Super A design. Capable of operating in water depths up to 400 ft, Ensco 120 Series rigs are designed for large multiwell platform programs, ultradeep gas programs, or ultralong reach wells up to 40,000 ft total drilling depth. The design features of the rigs increase the area of operability in the central North Sea and other harsh-environment regions.
The rigs have an improved cantilever envelope, 18-3/4-in 15k 4-ram BOP, 2.5 million-lb quad derrick, enhanced rig floor layout, fully automated hands-free offline pipe handling systems, ultrahigh capacity jacking and fixation systems, 150-person quarters, and strict noise and ergonomic standards. These features previously were found only in the largest ultraharsh environment jack up rigs.
