The jackup offshore mobile drilling unit J
pleted this year by the Beaumont Yard o
Christen Jackup
At Bethlehem Steel
Southern Drilling Company, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Ma-
rine Drilling Company, and Beth-
lehem Steel Corporation's Beau-
mont, Texas, shipyard recently
commissioned a 200-foot water
depth mobile offshore drilling rig.
The rig was christened J Storm
XVII by its sponsor, Mrs. Gino
Giusti, wife of Dr. Gino Giusti,
president of Texasgulf, Inc.,
Stamford, Conn. The multimil-
lion-dollar rig has been under
construction for nearly 10
months, and upon delivery will
begin drilling operations in the
Gulf of Mexico for Texasgulf.
Sherman C. Perry, general
Storm XVII was the seventh rig com-
f Bethlehem Steel.
J. Storm XVII
's Beaumont Yard
manager of the Beaumont ship-
yard, said the rig was the sev-
enth to be completed this year by
the yard. The yard is currently
working on a backlog of 10 sim-
ilar rigs scheduled to be deliv-
ered over the next year and a
half.
The J Storm XVII is a mat-
supported jackup designed for
deep-well drilling operations. On
location, the rig will have a total
variable drilling load capacity of
4.5 million pounds and handle
hook or rotary plus setback loads
of up to one million pounds.
The rig consists of a platform
measuring 132 feet by 157 feet,
supported by three 11-foot-diam-
eter columns fixed to a mat that
is 185 feet by 220 feet. Outfitted
with deep-well drilling equipment,
the rig can operate in water
depths of up to 200 feet. The
J Storm XVII contains onboard,
air-conditioned living accommo-
dations for 46 persons, including
sleeping quarters, galley, laundry,
recreation facilities, and a three-
bed hospital room.
The J Storm XVII was designed
and built to comply with the cur-
rent safety standards of the
United States Coast Guard plus
the American Bureau of Ship-
ping rules for the construction
of mobile offshore drilling units.
Mississippi Marine Delivers
M/V Redneck—Second Of Three
Towboats For Captain Hollinger
The towboat M/V Redneck is powered by two GM 16V-71 engines.
D. John Nichols, president of
Mississippi Marine Towboat Cor-
poration, Greenville, Miss., an-
nounced recently the delivery of
the M/V Redneck to Capt. W.A.
(Peanut) Hollinger of Greenville.
The 56-foot by 22-foot by 7-foot
6-inch, 1,000-hp towboat is the
second of three ordered by Cap-
tain Hollinger, and is the sister
vessel to the M/V Cole.
The vessel is built to meet the
rugged demands of fleeting serv-
ice. The hull is constructed of %-
inch and yL.-inch plate with heavy
1-inch plate head log and tran-
som. Corner wrappers of 1-inch
plate and a %-inch formed rub
rail located port and starboard
provide additional hull protection.
The vessel is powered by two
GM 16V-71 main propulsion en-
gines coupled to a pair of Twin
Disc MG-518 (4.5:1) reduction
gears. The gears turn two 5y2-
inch-diameter shafts. The wheels
are specially designed 50-inch by
46-inch, four-blade, stainless-steel
with extra heavy edge thickness
and increased blade area ratio.
The main engine cooling is pro-
vided by Fernstrum grid coolers
and the engines are ontrolled by
Morse MD-24 cable controls.
The vessel is equipped with two
steering rudders and four flank-
ing rudders. The mechanical over
hydraulic system is main en-
gine driven. While the vessel is
equipped with a pair of 12-kw,
model A2D 12000 Dieselec, air-
cooled generator sets, a separate
12-volt system also is provided,
enabling the vessel to operate
without the generators. Naviga-
tion lights and other necessary
lighting are dual 12-volt dc and
120-volt ac. The two power winch-
es are Skipper Hydraulic, 25-ton,
powered by the main-engine-
driven hydraulic pumps and res-
ervoir package, which also allows
for operation of the vessel with-
out the use of the generator sets.
Air conditioning is provided in
the vessel's pilothouse and in the
main deck galley room. A com-
pact galley unit is provided on
the main deck with gravity-fed
water systems from the deck
above. The M/V Redneck's raised
pilothouse provides a 25-foot 6-
inch eye level and 360-degree vis-
ibility. A catwalk and stairs pro-
vide access to both empty barges
as well as the vessel's main deck.
The M/V Redneck is another
example of Mississippi Marine's
ability and willingness to build
vessels specifically tailored to
meet the needs of a customer's
particular operation. Captain Hol-
linger wanted a simple, no frills
type vessel, designed to suit his
operation. Mississippi Marine is
also building two 1,800 to 2,400-
shp pushboats, one 1,000-hp work
boat, and a 143-foot offshore geo-
physical vessel, for various com-
panies.
From left: Dr. Gino Giusti, Mrs. James C. Storm, James C. Storm, Sherman Perry,
and Mrs. Gino Giusti, sponsor.
22 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
Digital Wave Publishing