Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc unit NDC launches latest mega jack-up drilling rig

Abu Dhabi's National Drilling Company marks another milestone with the inauguration of its eighth UAE-built floating drilling rig from Lamprell.

NDC, an Adnoc Group company, has inaugurated of its new jack-up rig, Al Hudairiyat, in the Hamriyah Free Zone in Sharjah. Courtesy : Adnoc

National Drilling Company (NDC), an Adnoc Group company, has celebrated the inauguration of its new state-of-the-art jack-up rig, Al Hudairiyat, in the Hamriyah Free Zone in Sharjah. This adds to the range of new offshore rigs acquired by NDC and manufactured in the UAE by Lamprell.

"NDC's acquisition of new state-of-the-art jack-up rigs is underpinning Adnoc's objective to maximise the value of our resources, pioneering profitable and efficient technologies that will support our capabilities to meet the demands of an ever-changing energy market, and continue to have a positive impact on the Abu Dhabi economy for generations to come," said the NDC chief executive Abdalla Saeed Al Suwaidi. "The inauguration of Al Hudairiyat marks another milestone on our ambitious journey to longer term strategic growth and competitiveness."

The latest rig brings the total number built so far to eight, including the NDC 5 Al Shuwehat Super 116E, launched in 2014. One more rig is in the pipeline.

“We are responsive to short term needs and requirements across the Adnoc Group and, at the same time, stay abreast of the long term plans.”

A jackup rig or a self-elevating unit is a type of mobile platform that consists of a buoyant hull fitted with a number of movable legs, capable of raising its hull over the surface of the sea.

The mega project of building nine world-class jack-up rigs has provided a major boost, not only for the partners involved, but for the UAE in general. All the rigs were built to international standards and demonstrate the country’s world standard engineering capability. NDC’s partnership with Lamprell to manufacture offshore jack-up rigs has made the UAE the first – and only – country in the region capable of building such critical, high-tech oil and gas rigs.

“We are proud of the on-time delivery of this advanced jack-up rig to NDC, our largest client,” said Christopher McDonald, the chief executive of Lamprell. “This helps to cement our deep relationship with our key client, NDC. As we complete this major project to the required high standards and quality, we are proud to construct this latest rig in the UAE for use in the UAE, further strengthening our existing solid ties.”

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