Keppel clinches liftboat order worth $85mKeppel clinches liftboat order worth $85m

The liftboat will be designed by Keppel Offshore & Marine’s design specialist Bennett Offshore, in collaboration with Keppel FELS, which is wholly-owned by Keppel O&M.

Scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2017, the liftboat will have provisions to enable it to operate in China, the Middle East and the Gulf of Mexico.

“This latest contract from Crystal Heights is the second liftboat based on Keppel’s innovative proprietary solution that Keppel has been contracted to build within a year,” said Wong Kok Seng, managing director of Keppel O&M (Offshore) and Keppel FELS.

“Even as the market for drilling rigs remains depressed, Keppel has the versatility and capabilities to design and build other products that are in demand, such as mobile units for plug and abandonment, accommodation and maintenance,” he added.

Kenny Cai, director of Crystal Heights, noted that despite the current low oil price environment, there are a large number of offshore platforms in the world that require more efficient and cost-effective solutions such as the use of dedicated liftboat for their maintenance, upgrading as well as removal.

“Besides being utilised in the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa, they are also increasingly being employed by key operators in China, the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” Cai said.

Cai is a shareholder of TS Offshore and FTS Derricks which have contracted for a KFELS N Plus and a KFELS Super B Class jackup rig respectively currently being built in Keppel FELS.

In addition to this latest contract, Keppel’s joint venture shipyard in Qatar, Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM), is also building a similar vessel for a Qatari oilfield service company.