The Blackford Dolphin oil drilling rig, which was originally built in 1974 in Norway, is to be upgraded and repaired in Harland & Wolff’s 556 x 93m main building dock. Work on the Aker H-3 rig, which under-went a major upgrade from 2006 to 2008, when Harland & Wolff designed and built accommodation blocks, a power generation module, a mud room and additional buoyancy, will start in November and take about 50 days.
Sales manager David McVeigh said that Belfast residents and visitors will see a change in the landscape. “This drill is so big that Samson and Goliath — two massive cranes that are a familiar sight in Belfast — are going to have to be moved to a different part of the yard while the work is undertaken. The drill will also be lit up and will be here over the Christmas period, so we like to think of it as the city’s unofficial Christmas tree.”
Mr McVeigh said that the company’s work on another rig last year helped clinch the contract; some 1,000 workers helped complete the one-month project on the Sea Rose — a floating production, storage and offloading vessel — for the Canadian firm Husky Energy. The floating factory left Belfast four days early, under budget and with no injuries or environmental incidents before sailing to Newfoundland.
Mr McVeigh said the growing number of firms selecting Belfast for this type of work was helping to boost the economy. “The offshore market is booming, and with more and more companies choosing to base themselves around the harbour, it is relatively easy to source and train extra staff if we need them, which has knock-on benefits for everyone.”