Keppel delivers Floatel Superior early

Peter Jacobsson, ceo of Floatel International said, “

Floatel Superior

is the first North Sea accommodation rig built in over 20 years, and it is certainly a vessel that the market has been waiting for. Her technical features have been thoroughly engineered by the experienced Keppel FELS team, and surpass the current industry standards in many aspects.

“The early delivery of

Floatel Superior

marks an excellent start to her operational track record, and speaks volumes of Keppel FELS’ world class capabilities. We are confident that she will raise the bar for offshore accommodation standards in the oil and gas industry as soon as she arrives on location.”

The newbuilding will depart Singapore shortly for Bayu Undan in the Timor Sea where she will commence her maiden charter contract for ConocoPhillips Australia following 14 days of transit using her own propulsion.

This new generation floatel is built to the DSS 20NS design, developed and owned by Keppel’s Deepwater Technology Group (DTG) and Marine Structure Consultants (MSC). The innovative design combines and enhances the tried and tested DSS series semisubmersible drilling rig and Keppel’s SSAU 3600 accommodation semisubmersible designs, to offer a unique solution for the North Sea. The vessel is designed for cost effective operations in moderate environment and is equipped with fully redundant DP 2 positioning system designed for support operations in close proximity to other offshore facilities.

Meanwhile, the construction of Floatel’s second accommodation rig,

Floatel Reliance

, is progressing well at Keppel FELS and is on track for delivery in the second half of 2010.