Shipbuilding giant Fincantieri and NLI, a Norwegian supplier to Oil & Gas business, announced the signing of a collaboration agreement, supporting the aim to penetrate the Mobile Drilling Units construction market.

For NLI the partnership is "a milestone." In 1974 they delivered the first derrick to the Norwegian offshore industry. Most recently they have developed a new drill tower solution to the global market. With this Italian-Norwegian partnership, NLI sees an expansion opportunity for their innovations and solutions.

Part of this agreement includes an ongoing inclusion of both parties when each approaches the market and presents their projects to various contractors, operators, and oil companies.

This important agreement follows the recent creation of the new Fincantieri Offshore Business Unit, a unit dedicated to the commercialisation and production of high-valued offshore vessels such as Drill ships, Semisubmersibles Drilling Rigs, Pipe Layers, Construction Vessels and Non Standard Supply Vessels.

The Fincantieri Offshore value proposition is based on the offer of new generation turn-key vessels, tailor-made to meet specific client requirements.

Mr. Sigve Barvik, Marketing Director of NLI commented:  “We now have a yard, with financial power and world class know-how, which is prepared to support the potential of our drilling tower. Fincantieri’s European deep-water drilling initiative is unique and will allow us to fully develop a drilling tower with superior performance, efficiency, eco friendliness, and safety for personnel”.

Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Giuseppe Coronella, Executive Vice-President of the Fincantieri Offshore Business Unit, said: ”We are very motivated to start this joint development process with a company delivering quality drilling and topsides engineering solutions. This will strengthen the capability of the established Fincantieri’s drilling supply chain, the 'Polo Offshore'.”