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Marathon Launches New Shallow-Draft Cantilevered Drilling Platform A unique shallow-draft, self- contained and self-elevating can- tilevered drilling platform was launched November 22 from Mar- athon's Brownsville, Texas, ship- yard. The new Marathon 150-44-C class platform is being construct- ed for Chiles Offshore Limited, Houston. It was officially chris- tened December 16 as the Texas Star, and is expected to begin work soon in the Gulf of Mexico for Mobil Oil Company. Marathon engineers point out that the relatively small rig—148 feet long by 160 feet wide—can drill multiple wells in one location in water depth as shallow as 15 feet, and as deep as 150 feet. The unit's hull depth is only 16 feet. The rig's unusual 250-foot-long spud legs are designed to recess into the bottom of the hull—al- lowing towing over shoals as shal- low as 13 to 15 feet. Development of the 150-44-C cantilevered platform was aimed specifically at relatively shallow- drilling environments such as the Caribbean, the west coast of Af- rica, and the coastal areas of Indonesia, all of which are com- parable to the Gulf of Mexico. The platform is outfitted for up to 15,000 feet exploratory and development drilling, and heavy duty workover of existing satel- lite wells or wells of a develop- ment platform. A full crew of 40 or more can be accommodated in modern quarters aboard the unit. A Marathon spokesman pointed out that as a result of the uniquely versatile cantilever de- sign, the 150-44-C unit includes provisions for drilling multiple wells without relocating the rig. The cantilever feature provides that the rotary can be located from 10 to 35 feet out from the end of the jackup hull, and 7y2 feet on either side of the center line, for a 15 by 25-foot drilling platform. The soon-to-be-christened Tex- as Star rig has a substructure 24 by 38 feet wide by 14 feet high. When required, the substructure, drill floor and mast can be skid- ded on the deck of a production platform, and span 30, 40 or 45- foot-wide skid beams with a 10- foot clear height above the plat- form deck. Clay Chiles, president of Chiles Drilling Company, general part- ner of Chiles Offshore Limited, has had many years of experi- ence in land and offshore drilling. The company is located in Hous- ton. Marathon LeTourneau Compa- ny, Marine Division, is a subsidi- ary of Marathon Manufacturing Company, Houston. The parent firm is a multiproduct company serving industries in marine con- struction and transportation, heavy equipment and steel prod- ucts, as well as a group of diver- sified companies producing chemi- cals, batteries, consumer goods and providing paving and utility services. Newport News Ship Receives $20-Million Contract From Navy Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Va., is receiving a $20,- 000,000 negotiated letter contract with a limitation of Government liability for planning and pro- curement of long lead-time mate- rials for the construction of Guid- ed Missile Cruiser (CGN-42). The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity. Contracts Signed For Cumberland Shipping Ro/Ro Barge Vessel Contracts were signed on De- cember 22, 1977, for the subsi- dized construction of a self-pro- pelled, roll - on / roll - off (ro / ro) barge vessel at Seatrain Ship- building Corp., New York, N.Y. The negotiated fixed-price of the commercial vessel is $12,796,324. The vessel, which will have the capacity to carry 113 forty-foot trailers, is the first of its kind to be built with the aid of construc- tion-differential subsidy. It will have an overall length of 446 feet, a beam of 80 feet, and a depth of 271/2 feet. The Maritime Administration will pay $5,286,324, or 41.34 per- cent, of the cost of the vessel. This represents the difference be- tween the fixed price and the es- timated cost of having the vessel built in a foreign shipyard. The government also will pay the en- tire cost of $43,292 for national defense features incorporated in the vessel. The ro/ro is being built for Cumberland Shipping Company, Inc., One Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, N.Y. Cumberland plans to use it in the U.S. foreign trade, primarily in the Caribbean. Propulsion Systems, Inc. Receives Order From Equitable Shipyards, Inc. P.K. Wennberg, president and chief executive officer of Propul- sion Systems, Inc., Kent, Wash., has announced the receipt of a contract to provide three PSI/ Frydenbo type HS-180 rotary vane steering systems to Equi- table Shipyards, Inc., New Or- leans, La., for installation aboard the American Marine Industries, Inc., general cargo carriers. The systems will utilize the patented PSI / Rate-Conn control systems. The PSI/Frydenbo steer- ing system has long been recog- nized for its reliability, rugged- ized simplicity, and ease of main- tenance. To date, over 4,000 of these steering systems have been installed in all classes of ships around the world. Address inquiries to Propulsion Systems, Inc., 21213 76th Avenue South, Kent, Wash. 98031. Nilsson To Head Sales Organization For Kockums Shipyard Gunnar Nilsson A new marketing organization has been organized at Kockums Shipyard, Malmo, Sweden, under director Gunnar Nilsson. The new marketing section includes de- partments for research and de- velopment, projection, calculation and customer contact. The new organization will im- prove integration of existing marketing resources at Kockums Shipyard, with increasing empha- sis on far advanced products, such as LNG carriers, along with con- tinuing diversification. Mr. Nilsson has set up two groups for customer contacts. The group for North America, based in New York, will continue under Homer Knopp. The second group, responsible for markets in the rest of the world, will be run by Helge Stroem-Olsen and Per Dahlgren. Kjell Restad will remain as head of the Projection Depart- ment and Kjell Bengtsson is in charge of the Calculations Depart- ment. A separate department for research and development will be directed by Claes Ljunggren. Request Title XI To Construct $29-Million Self-Propelled Dredge Eagle Dredging Corporation, Suite 3700, One Shell Square, New Orleans, La., has applied to the U.S. Department of Com- merce, Maritime Administration, for a Title XI guarantee to aid in financing the construction of a self-propelled hopper suction dredge. The approximate dimensions of the proposed dredge include an overall length of 238 feet, a mold- ed beam of 68 feet, and a depth of 24 feet. The diesel-powered vessel will have an estimated gross tonnage of 4,120, and a car- go capacity of 4,580 cubic yards. The estimated cost of the ves- sel is approximately $29.8 mil- lion. A shipyard for the project has not yet been determined. The application states that the vessel will be built "for commer- cial use in coastwise, intracoastal, or foreign trade, and upon the Great Lakes, rivers, harbors, and inland lakes of the United States. The unique cantilever design of the Texas Star includes pro- visions for drilling multiple wells without relocating the rig. January 1, 1978 7
