Main clients include the large oil companies and rig contractors in Scandinavia such as Statoil, Aker and Stena. Offshore insurance is structured as coinsurances, and If holds only small shares of each policy, ranging from 0.85% up to 7.5%, never exceeding a maximum of SEK 200 million at any one location. Energy offshore insurance policies contain several products, including Hull and Machinery, Loss of Hire, Control of Well and Liability, depending on each client’s insurance needs.
Stena Drilling
Stena Drilling is a wholly owned subsidiary of Stena AB and is one of the world's foremost independent drilling contractors. Stena Drilling manages a global business, holding a portfolio of successful, past and present operations in the North Sea, US Gulf of Mexico, South East Asia, Mediterranean, Caribbean, South America, Australia, North Africa and West Africa.
In expanding its fleet of well-maintained drilling units, the Company has had an active role in building and converting rigs and, in doing so, pioneering some of the most leading-edge technologies and innovations in the drilling world for increased operational performance and safety.
Stena DrillMAX ICE
The Stena DrillMAX ICE will be the latest addition to the Stena Drilling fleet. Its design is both suited for deep-water drilling and drilling in harsh sub zero environments.
Stena DrillMAX ICE is based on the existing Stena DrillMAX vessels, with inclusion of the significant Ice Class requirements; this overall package providing the optimum layout/specification for a vast range of worldwide operational requirements.
- Ice class hull, Polar Class 4, meaning an ice band of steel stretches around the ship between 6.5 and 14 metres above the baseline
- 6 x 5.5KW UUC505 Azimuth thrusters, ICE-10
- -30°C rated Knuckleboom Deck Cranes
- Compliance with DNV notarized Winterized Cold Classification
- Anti-icing for anchors, deck piping, lifeboats, rafts, escape exits, scuppers & drains
- Enhanced De-icing of open decks, gangways/stairways, hand railing and piping
- Additional insulation for bulkheads and deck exposed to weather
- Steam heating coils for Ballast tanks and drill water tanks
- Steam blowing into sea chests
- Enhanced environmental protection by means of enhancing / installing Windwalls / cladding around Drill Floor, Mast and Standbuilding Tower
- Extra environmental protection around BOP work area
- Additional BOP on board to provide 100% redundancy
- More lay-down / storage areas
- Additional Moonpools for ROV
Stena Drilling’s decision to go into the Arctic was heavily influenced by the fact that oil prices were increasing and also that new discoveries needed to be made. Although the oil prices have since dropped, Stena Drilling is still confidently pursuing its multi-billion dollar Arctic strategy.
Built for hard-core use
The DrillMAX series is able to withstand both extremely harsh and cold environments, and it is also designed to operate in ultra deep waters worldwide, therefore, if the Arctic will not have any contracts, the Stena DrillMAX ICE can be used in other parts of the world, for deep-water drilling.
The Stena DrillMAX ICE cannot break ice, this was a decision made by Stena as a hull suitable for icebreaking tends to push ice flows under the hull creating a risk to get ice into the thrusters and moonpool*. This hull form crushes the ice instead of breaking it, resulting in less risk for operational interruption due to ice formations in the moonpool.
The thrusters are heavy duty weighing about 50% more than thrusters designed for open water. They are capable of handling forces from ice if needed.
“With good ice management in place, the vessel can remain in operation in the Arctic much longer than the vessels operating in the period 1976 to 1985, enabling better economics for the client,” Mr Welo explained in an interview with DNV in October 2009.
Safety means adjustments
The working environment in the Arctic is also very different, so Stena has had to take safety into consideration in a different way than with more conventional vessels. Stena DrillMAX ICE will have an ice-classed “hat” on top of the vessel in order to protect the crew from falling ice, which is a challenge in the Arctic.
Additional features also include heated walkways, de-icing equipment and heated hand rails all around the vessel, so that the crew is protected from the cold.
Ready to sail in 2012
Stena DrillMAX ICE is currently under construction by Samsung Heavy Industries at their Geoje Shipyard in South Korea and is the fourth vessel in the Stena DrillMAX fleet. It will be the world’s first dynamically positioned, dual mast ice-class +1A1 drillship, allowing for safe and efficient operations in Arctic conditions.
If P&C offers hull and machinery, hull interest, and loss of hire insurances for the DrillMAX ICE. Cover will be in place when the rig is delivered from the yard, which is estimated in the first quarter of 2012.
* Moonpool: an opening in the floor or base of the hull, platform, or chamber giving access to the water below, allowing technicians or researchers to lower tools and instruments into the sea Sources: stenadrilling.com dnv.no
Elisabeth Myklebost
