SEVAN 650 Towed to Qidong

Date: 2009-5-6


"Hope No.1" (SEVAN 650), the cylindrical drilling unit, was towed from COSCO Nantong Shipyard to COSCO Qidong Offshore Yard on 2nd April, 2009. With a diameter of 84m, the drilling unit has a depth of 67m and an air draught of 59m enabling it to pass under the Sutong Bridge without incident. Sutong Bridge, a new bridge cross the Yangtze River, has been open to traffic for less than one year and there has been no such big unit past through the bridge before. Since there has been many precedent of the accident caused by the miscalculation in the amount of clearance and the bridge and/or unit have been damaged, COSCO Nantong Shipyard made precise plan and arranged an professional sailing team to ensure the success of the towing. The drilling unit finally arrived safely at COSCO Qidong Offshore Yard on the 5th April, 2009.

The upper part of the derrick (250 tonnes) and the middle part of the derrick (350 tonnes) for the "Hope No.1" were then transported to COSCO Qidong Offshore Yard on the 4th April where they were quickly installed on board.

Built for SEVAN MARINE, the "Hope No.1" is designed to operate in 10,000 feet (about 3,000 metres) water depth and will have a storage capacity of about 150,000 bbl.

COSCO Shipyard