Rowan Cos. Inc. has completed initial construction on the Gorilla VII jack up rig at its LeTourneau Inc. yard in Vicksburg, Miss., and is currently moving the rig to Sabine Pass, Tex., for final completion, expected by yearend 2001.
LeTourneau and Rowan designed Gorilla VII, the latest in its class of "super gorilla rigs," to operate year round in 400 ft of water in the North Sea, south of 61° north latitude.
The rig "walked" about 600 ft under its own power into the Mississippi River, in mid July, where it was undergoing final preparations to obtain the US Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection, according to Mike Gray, Rowan's project manager.
LeTourneau moved the rig into the river using the rig's own jack up legs, with mounds of sand assisting the rig to move forward (Fig. 1).
Rowan expected to begin towing the rig in mid August, on the 4-day trip down the Mississippi to its Sabine Pass yard. "Passing under eight bridges, the water level in the river will be critical during the move" said Gray.
Once the rig is at Sabine Pass, Rowan will install the rig's derrick, related drilling equipment, and the 574-ft legs.
Rowan is targeting the North Sea and other harsh environments such as eastern Canada as the primary market for the Gorilla VII, which currently does not have a contract.
Bill Provine, Rowan vice-president for investor relations, said "We're confident we'll find a profitable contract for the rig if oil prices stay above $20/bbl."
He said the super gorilla class rigs are capable of producing oil and gas from completed wells, at the same time drilling operations are underway, which is a significant benefit in the North Sea and other harsh environments, where it can take up to 3-5 years to drill and complete a sufficient number of wells to get production facilities up and running.
"If operators can begin producing the completed wells immediately, through the jack up rig facilities, it helps them enormously with cash flow and return on investment," Provine said.
The Gorilla VII will join sister rigs in Rowan's fleet, the Gorilla V and VI, completed in November 1998 and June 2000, respectively.
The Gorilla V is currently working in eastern Canadian waters near Sable Island for PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd., drilling wells targeting Panuke gas reserves.
Gorilla VI recently has been drilling subsalt wells in the Gulf of Mexico for Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
LeTourneau is currently building a fourth rig in Rowan's super gorilla class, the Gorilla VIII, and expects completion in 2003.
The Gorilla VIII, which Rowan says it will market primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, will have 708-ft legs with 30% larger spud cans, allowing it to drill in water depths of 550-600 ft.