ENSCO 7500 first rig to complete alternate compliance program

ENSCO International of Dallas has taken delivery of its new semisubmersible ENSCO 7500 from Friede Goldman Halter of Port Arthur, Texas. It was the drilling rig the first to complete certificate of inspection requirements under the US Coast Guard's (USCG) Alternate Compliance Program (ACP), as facilitated by ABS of Houston.

The ACP was initiated in 1995, to simplify the certification process for US shipowners, but through the cooperative efforts of the USCG and ABS, ACP certification is now available to offshore rigs, says Lynnda Pekel, ABS project manager for the ENSCO 7500, who predicts that over the next three years at least two of the expected five new offshore rigs will be US flag and will use ACP for certification.

An ENSCO spokesperson said, "The USCG's Alternate Compliance Program proved to be straight-forward, efficient, and cost-effective, involving less paperwork than we expected. All the people involved in the certification process contributed to the success of the ENSCO 7500 project."

The rig is ABS-classed +A1, AMS, column-stabilized drilling unit with a DPS2 notation for dynamic positioning. It has a drill depth rating of 30,000 ft and can operate in waters up to 8,000 ft. It recently completed sea trials and is under a three-year contract with Burlington Resources. It is currently operating in the US Gulf of Mexico on East Breaks Block 599 in 3,300 ft of water.

ABS dedicated a team of more 20 people to facilitate the ACP process for the ENSCO 7500. Disciplines included piping, electrical, mechanical, structural, stability, safety and fire protection, and site survey. ABS Group, an affiliate of ABS, also contributed to the project, conducting risk analysis of equipment to ensure emergency service in the event of a failure.

Edited by Dev George
Managing Editor, Oil and Gas Online