Sonat Offshore Drilling Inc. has let contract for design and construction of a drillship designed to work in as much as 3,000 m of water, said to be the biggest of its type in the world.
The contract was let for an undisclosed sum to Astilleros Espanoles SA, which will build the ship at its Astano, Spain, yard.
The drillship will be built to an Astano design aimed to reduce construction time and costs. It is slated for delivery in February 1998.
The ship will first work for Amoco Corp. in the Gulf of Mexico. The construction contract includes an option to build a second identical unit.
Astilleros Espanoles said the ship will have capacity to carry 30,000 metric tons of materials and drilling equipment on deck. It will be able to deliver output power of 42,000 kw.
The ship will be 254 m long and 38 m wide, with a draft of 19 m. It will have six dynamic positioning units of 5,000 kw capacity each and accommodate a crew of 200.
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