Naming Ceremony of ENSCO 8500, 28 June 2008
Speech by Mr Choo Chiau Beng, Chairman & CEO of Keppel Offshore Marine
Guest-of-Honour, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Lee Yi Shyan,
Our gracious Lady Sponsor, Mrs Carol Garon Durkee,
Mr Todd Durkee, General Manager of Gulf of Mexico and International Deepwater, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation,
Mr Dan Rabun, Chairman, President and CEO of ENSCO,
Colleagues, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good morning and a warm welcome.
Together with our longtime customer and partner ENSCO, we are very proud today to celebrate the completion of the first ENSCO 8500 Series® deepwater semisubmersible at Keppel FELS.
In the construction of this pioneering rig designed by ENSCO, we have maintained an incident-free record till now. This commendable achievement would not have been possible, I emphasise, without the strong partnership, open communication and excellent teamwork between the project teams at Keppel and ENSCO.
Our collaboration with ENSCO, which spans more than two decades, has been built on mutual trust and confidence at all levels in our organisations. Particularly in the last ten years, we have the privilege to be chosen as their partner in the construction, repair, upgrading and modification of their entire fleet of rigs. This includes nine newbuild jackup rigs to ENSCO, which make up some 20% of their global jackup fleet.
The win-win partnership we have forged over the years, has played an important role in helping ENSCO to build its position among the world's foremost drilling contractors, and in entrenching Keppel FELS’s reputation as the world leading rig designer and builder.
As ENSCO pursues a prominent position in deepwater drilling, we want to be there to support our valued partner.
The rich collective experience and insights we have gain on the first 8500 series rig will enhance the engineering and construction efficiency of the next five semis to come. We share ENSCO’s confidence that these cost-efficient units will meet most of the industry’s needs for deepwater drilling solutions when operational.
I would like to say that we are truly proud of the deep personal relationship we share with ENSCO. Dan, thank you for your friendship and vote of confidence in Keppel.
I assure you that we remain committed to deliver on our promises, and to your satisfaction. Bill Chadwick and Paul Wildberger you have been a great source of support, and it would not have been the same without you.
It leaves me now to thank the project teams led by Ron Couet of ENSCO, and
Yeo Yue Ngiap and Terrence Lum of Keppel for an excellent job on the
ENSCO 8500.
Special mention must also go to Paolo Rachid of ABS; our vendors, especially NOV who is represented by its Chairman, President & CEO, Pete Miller and all our subcontractors. Thank you all for your hard work and efforts in ensuring the successful completion of the ENSCO 8500.
The ENSCO 8500 is an excellent rig, and we are confident that she will serve Anadarko well, and do us all proud.
I would like to express my gratitude in particular to Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Lee Yi Shyan for taking time off his busy schedule to grace our ceremony. Your presence has indeed lent significance to this special occasion for Keppel and ENSCO.
Last but not least, my appreciation goes to our gracious lady sponsor, Mrs Carol Garon Durkee. Your blessings for the first ENSCO 8500 series semi will surely bring great tidings to Anadarko and her future charterers. Thank you.