Maersk Drilling has recently taken delivery of its first ultra deepwater drillship, 'Maersk Viking', from Samsung Heavy Industries' (SHI) shipyard in Geoje-Si, South Korea.
Following delivery, the 'Maersk Viking' has started its voyage to the United States Gulf of Mexico, where it will commence a three-year contract with ExxonMobil.
The 'Maersk Viking' is the first in a series of four ultra deepwater drillships to enter Maersk Drilling's fleet. The four drillships represent a total investment of US$2.6 billion and will be delivered from the SHI shipyard in 2014.
Featuring dual derrick and large subsea work and storage areas, the drillship design allows for efficient well construction and field development activities through offline activities.
With their advanced positioning control system, the ships automatically maintain a fixed position in severe weather conditions with waves of up to 11 metres and wind speeds of up to 26 metres per second.
