Huisman and Noble sign contract for drilling equipment Globetrotter 2
On Friday 6 August 2010, Dutch based Huisman, specialist in heavy offshore construction equipment and Noble signed a contract for the delivery of the drilling equipment onboard Noble’s new deep water drill ship “Globetrotter 2”. The drilling equipment is based on the drilling mast and carousel type setbacks as currently under construction for the Globetrotter 1 rig and for the “Bully” rigs, on order by Noble / Shell. The vessel will, as Globetrotter 1, be built by Korean shipyard STX.
This type of drilling unit, based on Huisman’s proprietary vessel design, represents a step change in the industry. These vessels are designed to offer a lower cost and flexible alternative for drilling in ultradeep waters. The selection of Huisman’s compact box type drilling tower instead of a conventional derrick allows for a significantly smaller sized vessel compared to other deepwater drillships of similar capacity. In addition, it offers improved operational efficiency as a result of the different equipment layout.
For “Globetrotter 2”, Huisman will supply the drilling mast with active heave compensated draw works inside, all pipe racking and pipe handling gear, riser handling cranes and the riser tensioning system. Huisman will also supply the driller’s cabin and is responsible for all system integration. This includes integration of equipment supplied by others. The system is designed to maximize safety for the crew, and to minimize equipment downtime. This is achieved by combinations of simple robust designs and incorporation of redundancy at multiple levels.
The majority of the equipment will be constructed at Huisman’s facility in Schiedam, The Netherlands. It will be completely assembled and tested prior to arrival of the vessel. Installation and commissioning on board will also take place at the Huisman yard.