In October 2012, a valuable new asset was added to the Saudi Aramco Rigs group. The new rig arrived in the Kingdom after the completion of its construction and signing of the "protocol of delivery" three months ahead of schedule at Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore.

The new rig, considered state-of-the-art in the offshore drilling world, is equipped with 6+1 Engines/generator sets. These six generators can be used to power up the entire rig facilities. Plus, it has an equivalent emergency generator for backup in case of power failures.

Its 54-motor jacking system will allow it to carry a greater load than the normal 36-motor rigs. Also, its water cooling system will enable quicker heat removal compared with the traditional air cooling of other rigs.

The new offshore jack-up rig will be the second to be owned and fully operated by Saudi Aramco. It is also the first offshore jack-up rig that Saudi Aramco built from scratch to fit the Arabian Gulf’s offshore fields.

The rig is capable of accommodating 114 personnel and is equipped with jack-up legs more than 400 feet long, which allows it to operate in the deepest Gulf fields of Marjan, Karan, Arabiya and Hasbah. It also has the capability to drill as deep as 30,000 feet.

Although the rig is equipped with the latest technologies, its construction was completed ahead of schedule in 24 months between August 2010 and August 2012.

An official ceremony took place in September 2012, and the rig arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of schedule in October after less than a month’s journey from Singapore.

The new rig is to commence operation in January with its first spud (drilling start) in the Arabian Gulf.