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Bethlehem's Sparrows Point Yard Gets First Drilling Rig Contract Houston Offshore International, Inc., has awarded Bethlehem Steel Corporation's shipyard at Sparrows Point, Md., a contract for construction of an offshore oil drilling rig. Announcement of the contract was made by Jerry E. Chiles, president of Houston Off- shore, and David H. Klinges, vice president in charge of shipbuild- ing, Bethlehem Steel. This marks the first time that the Sparrows Point yard has re- ceived a contract for an offshore drilling rig, although the yard has built several mats (the part of a jackup rig that rests on the ocean floor) that have been incorporated into rigs built at Bethlehem's shipyard in Beaumont, Texas. The latter yard has long been a leader in constructing equip- ment for the offshore drilling and production industry. The rig or- dered by Houston Offshore is a design developed at the Beaumont yard, which has delivered a num- ber of rigs of such design. This rig is the third ordered by Hous- ton Offshore from Bethlehem; the previous two were built at Beau- mont. Mr. Klinges said that he ex- pects the work on the rig will pro- vide about a year's employment for 300 to 400 employees at the Sparrows Point yard. Fabrication is scheduled to begin in May this year, with delivery expected in June 1981. The unit will have a cantile- vered drill floor. This feature per- mits exploratory or developmental drilling from 15 feet to 45 feet aft of the platform while it is cantilevered over existing well- head structures. With hook plus setback loads of one million pounds and full-size drilling equip- ment, the rig will be ideally suited for deep-well drilling in water depths ranging from 11 to 200 feet. The rig will consist of a buoy- ant upper platform hull 157 feet long by 132 feet wide supported by a mat foundation 220 feet long by 185 feet wide. Three 11-foot- diameter columns affixed to the mat and passing up through the platform will provide the means for the platform to be jacked above the water to provide suf- ficient wave clearance. M.A.N. Diesel Engines Will Power Greek Ships Two 5,500-dwt freighters—the first of a series—are being built at the Salamis Shipyard in Piraeus, Greece, for Cost Shipping of Athens, and will enter service dur- ing the second half of this year. Each ship will be propelled by a reversible 6L 40 '45 M.A.N, en- gine developing 3,300 kw at 600 rpm, driving a fixed-pitch propel- ler through a reduction gearbox. These engines are capable of burning 3,500 second Redwood I heavy fuel oil. Options have been taken on another four engines. The auxiliary machinery of these multi-purpose freighters will be driven by diesels built by M.A.N. Nurnberg. Bulletin Available On Elliott Tube Puller Bulletin Y-107 titled "Elliott Hydraulic Tube Puller" is avail- able from Elliott Company, Jean- nette, Pa., a division of Carrier Corporation. Designed for pulling V^-inch through 21/1-inch O.D. tubes from condensers and heat transfer units, the tube puller uses hy- draulic pressure to free rolled tube joints for quick, easy re- moval of tubes through their own tube sheet holes. It can be used with manual or power-operated pumps. The bulletin describes and il- lustrates the components of the unit, including reservoir, hose, pump, double-acting ram, selector valve, adapter, horseshoe lock, and spear attachments. A seven-step illustration shows the ease of op- eration of the tube puller, which can be employed in single- or double-end pulling. For detailed information on the Elliott hydraulic tube puller, re- quest Bulletin Y107-MR from J.W.D. Wright, Elliott Company, Jeannette, Pa. 15644. S.5. 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