Published 22.02.2013
Agility Group has signed another contract with China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL) in China for the basic design of a semisubmersible drilling rig, specifically designed for drilling operations in the South China Sea. The agreement is the second of its kind with COSL, and involves recruitments in both China and Norway.
The new drilling rig denoted COSL5000FT is based on Agility Group’s A5000 design and is a direct development of Agility Group’s GG5000 design now under construction at CIMC Raffles Shipyard in Yantai, China, COSL Drilling Europe. The agreement is the latest in a series of contracts with COSL and underlines Agility Group’s presence and position in the Chinese market.
Agility Group opened its first office in China in 2008, and has experienced significant growth in the Chinese market from day one. The agreement with the Chinese COSL is based on the skills within the marine unit in Sandefjord, Norway, and the engineering expertise we have built up in China over the past five years.
– Our Shanghai office employs more than 70 Chinese engineers specialized within offshore. The agreement with the Chinese COSL will be a further strengthening of this competence and the presence in the fast-growing Chinese offshore market. The agreement is a reality thanks to the close and dedicated cooperation between our engineers in Sandefjord and their colleagues in Shanghai. This agreement makes us especially proud, showing that both knowledge sharing and collaboration across borders give results, says Otto Søberg, CEO at Agility Group.
The newbuild is unique of its kind with a variable deckload capacity of 5000 tonnes with accommodation for 160 people. The drilling rig will be capable of drilling in water depths of up to 1500 metres, with a maximum drilling depth of up to 9000 metres (30,000 feet).
– This agreement shows that we are able to capitalize on and further develop our strength within marine solutions in Sandefjord, including design of drilling units, drill floor solutions, storage vessels, and floating production units, concludes Søberg.