The offshore Sahar 1 drilling rig, operated by the North Drilling Company, a subsidiary of Sina Energy Holding, has set sail for the South Pars gas field after completing its refurbishment and major repairs in preparation for a new mission.
According to Sina Energy, Ruhollah Abdi, head of the North Drilling Company stated that after 13 years of continuous operation in hydrocarbon fields in the Persian Gulf, during which over five thousand meters were drilled and more than 30 oil and gas wells were completed the rig entered the dry dock at Iran Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries Complex (ISOICO) in Bandar Abbas on June 17 this year for refurbishment and major repairs as per international maritime regulations.
He added that this rig was refurbished entirely by Iranian specialists according to a predetermined schedule using wholly domestic resources. On November 21, 2023, it departed towards Phase 19 of the South Pars gas field to commence its new mission.
Abdi noted that the refurbishment project for Sahar 1 Rig was estimated to take about 120 working days with a budget of $12.5 million. This was achieved under challenging conditions amid extreme heat typical of Bandar Abbas region through the efforts of Iranian specialists entirely domestically—with more than 24,000 man-days employed. In contrast, similar projects with this volume of work in neighboring countries could incur costs exceeding twice as much and take over three times longer than what was spent on Rig Sahar 1.
Regarding the new mission assigned to Sahar 1 Rig at South Pars Gas Field, Abdi explained that it involves drilling nine infill wells in Phase 19 aimed at reducing gas imbalances within the country.
As reported, during its refurbishment project, over ten thousand square meters and approximately 110 tons of metalwork and welding, equivalent to about 35 percent of the rig’s structure, 7500 square meters were de-fouled; one thousand tons were cleaned; nearly fifty thousand square meters underwent sandblasting; and one 150 thousand square meters received painting accounting for 75 percent of total rig surface area.
Additionally, replacement involved over twenty thousand inches equivalent piping accounting for sixty percent of total rig piping. 4 thousand thickness measurements corresponding certificates obtained along with three kilometers crack detection tests, 1 kilometer vacuum tests, and 2 kilometers ultrasonic tests conducted. As part of the personnel accommodation facility upgrade on this platform significant changes took place affecting eighty percent of overall accommodation site representing twenty percent of total rehabilitation contract volume.
In terms or major repairs, the primary motors aboard the platform underwent extensive maintenance by knowledge-based companies, and a substantial proportion (over 75 percent) of the high-pressure valves on board were serviced or replaced.
