 Maersk Drilling on Monday announced that it has taken delivery of its first ultra deepwater drillship, Maersk Viking, from Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in South Korea. Maersk Viking is the first in a series of four ultra deepwater drillships to enter Maersk Drilling’s fleet in 2014, representing a total investment of $2.6 billion. The vessel has already begun its voyage to the US Gulf of Mexico where it will commence a three year contract with ExxonMobil.  Featuring dual derrick and large subsea work and storage areas, the drillship design allows for efficient well construction and field development activities through offline activities. With their advanced positioning control system, the ships automatically maintain a fixed position in severe weather conditions with waves of up to 11 meters and wind speeds of up to 26 meters per second.  Special attention has been given to safety on board the drillships. Equipped with Multi Machine Control on the drill floor, the high degree of automation ensures safe operation and consistent performance. Higher transit speeds and increased capacity will reduce the overall logistics costs for oil companies.  Maersk Drilling aims to become a significant and stable contributor to the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group with a profit target (NOPAT) of $1 billion by 2018.  In addition to the three drillships and four jack-up rigs in order, the modern fleet counts 17 drilling rigs including deepwater semi-submersibles and high-end jack-up rigs. Established in 1972, Maersk Drilling employs an international staff of 3,600 people.      Photos (c) Maersk Drilling              |