India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has successfully moved 36 offshore drilling rigs to new locations ahead of the monsoon season with the assistance of ABL. The rig moves were managed by ABL’s team of mariners, structural and geotechnical engineers, and tow masters. ABL acted for ONGC’s underwriters and provided marine warranty services to ONGC’s fleet of jack-ups and mobile offshore production units in Indian waters.
Moving 36 rigs to new locations before the onset of the southwest monsoon is quite an achievement. Despite the challenges posed by environmental, tidal, bathymetric and soil challenges, the joint ABL and ONGC team made this a safe and well-executed campaign under Captain Stephen Craig’s, the Middle East and India Operations Manager and ABL’s Jack-up Rig Steering Group leader.
The rigs were placed at their respective monsoon locations before the onset of the seasonal adverse weather conditions. The combined total distance traveled for all rigs was 3,680 nautical miles. ABL has assisted with over 100 rig moves offshore India in the previous season from September 2022 to June 2023.
With ABL’s assistance, ONGC has moved the rigs safely and efficiently, ensuring their operations are not disrupted by the monsoon season’s harsh weather conditions. This achievement reflects ONGC’s commitment to maintaining robust operations amid the challenges posed by natural weather phenomena.