Saudi yard seeks rig work

The King Abdulaziz Port in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia can now repair offshore drilling rigs and is encouraging rig operators to use its facilities.

“Repairs of drilling rigs have been a problem for local operators who spent a lot of money to have their rigs towed and repaired in neighbouring ship repair yards like those in Bahrain. Now we have the facilities and capabilities right here,” said Hassan Abouraya, a consultant on marine business development for Zamil Shipyard, which has expanded the port’s capacity to include offshore rigs.

Zamil undertook the first repair of the 6,000-tonne offshore drilling rig ENSCO 96 last month, which is currently leased out to Saudi Aramco. The shallow-water rig can only operate in depths of up to 250 feet and was towed from its anchorage location at Ras Tanura to the Dammam Port by Zamil Saudi pilots, who also did the piloting job for the first time, and berthed it at the Zamil shipyard facility.