By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 12 -- GlobalSantaFe Corp. is adding to its deepwater drilling fleet and has signed a turnkey contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd. for a newbuild ultradeepwater drillship.
The vessel, to be built in Ulsan, South Korea, at an estimated cost of $740 million, is scheduled for delivery in September 2010.
It is a next-generation drillship that combines the best features of GSF's drillships and semisubmersibles in a single unit, said GSF Pres. and Chief Executive Jon Marshall.
The vessel is an enhanced version of company's GSF C.R. Luigs and GSF Jack Ryan drillships, which entered service in 2000. Like those rigs, it will be capable of drilling in as much as 10,000 ft of water and upgradeable to 12,000 ft.
Also, the rig will feature advanced dynamic-positioning capabilities, triple activity load paths, a derrick rated for 4 million lb, dual liquid-storage systems, larger quarters, and an efficient deck design that provides more space than previous-generation drillships.
