Power conversion specialist Converteam has been selected by STX Offshore and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd (South Korea) as designer and supplier of an extensive package of electrical equipment for a newbuild, dynamically positioned, ultra-deepwater drillship for Noble Corporation, one of the world’s largest offshore drilling contractors.
The “Noble Globetrotter II” is under construction by STX at their new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dalian, China and is due to be operational during the second half of 2013.
The drillship is rated for operations at water depths of up to 10,000 feet and will be capable of drilling to a vertical depth of 40,000 feet. Converteam’s advanced power and control technologies are vital links in achieving these objectives, in an industry where performance bonuses and penalties are standard practice.
Converteam’s responsibility is for a mission critical, fully integrated, package of electrical works which includes major components of the electrical power generation, power distribution and propulsion systems and a sophisticated vessel management system incorporating power management, machinery monitoring & control, Dynamic Position (DP) control system, fire & gas and emergency shutdown systems.
Speaking for STX, Mr Shin Kwang-Ho commented, “The Converteam approach of offering the most comprehensively engineered package is incredibly attractive to us as a builder of sophisticated drilling units. It means that many of those complex interfaces between different elements are taken care of by one company and it leaves us to get on with the business of delivering a high quality product”.
Noble’s first Globetrotter class drillship,“Noble Globetrotter”, also equipped with Converteam solutions, is due for delivery from STX in second half of 2011. Both Globetrotter units are contracted to work for Shell under 10 year charters.
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Source: Converteam, October 27, 2010;