ABS to Class Chinese Newbuilds

Houston-based worldwide classification society ABS says it has been chosen to class a semi-submersible drilling rig and liftboat being in-built China.

The contract was awarded by Hong Kong-based firm Baoham Offshore. Detail engineering and manufacturing design of each items are being carried out by Singapore-based engineering home Gulf Offshore.

“This award is a reflection of the solid reputation ABS has built as a classification society over more than 30 years in China,” says ABS Executive Vice President of Energy Project Development Ken Richardson. “We are particularly excited about working with Baoham Offshore as an emerging Chinese company.”

The liftboat shall be constructed on the PaxOcean yard in Zhoushan, China, whereas a yard has not but been chosen for the semisubmersible.

Baoham Offshore General Manager Xu Jun expressed excessive hopes for the fledgling firm: “We are not building on speculation,” he says. “On top of our first 300-ft harsh-environment ABS-classed liftboat (GM-J1000) already under construction, the addition of these units extends our ambition of building a flexible fleet.” he says.

The GM-4E mid-water semisubmersible drilling unit could have each an eight-point mooring system and Class 3 dynamic positioning and can characteristic a variable deck load that exceeds 4,000 metric tons. The GM-J1450 has a water depth functionality of 80 m (~260 ft) and shall be outfitted with a 400-metric-ton deck crane.

ABS says that the liftboat jacking system shall be supplied with Hydraquip Custom Systems Inc., which has produced greater than 100 jacking techniques over the previous twenty years.

“We are pleased to continue our working partnership with Baoham Offshore,” says Global Maritime Engineering Services Manager Mark Cooper, whose firm supplied the designs for an earlier unit in addition to each of the contracted newbuilds. “We are excited to be introducing this flexible design on a groundbreaking project with not only an owner with a strong vision, but a very experienced class society.”