''GSP Jupiter'' is a

semi-submersible Semi-submersible may refer to a self-propelled vessel, such as: *Heavy-lift ship, which partially submerge to allow their cargo (another ship) to float into place for transport *Narco-submarine, some of which remained partially on the surface *S ...

, jackup independent leg cantilever

drilling rig A drilling rig is an integrated system that Drilling, drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to ...

operated by GSP Drilling, a

Grup Servicii Petroliere Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP Offshore) is a Romanian company providing offshore integrated services for Oil industry, oil and gas industry. The company, established in 2004, is a member of UPETROM Group. Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP Offshore) ...

subsidiary, and currently laid up in the port of

Limassol Limassol, also known as Lemesos, is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the Limassol district. Limassol is the second-largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 195,139 and a district population o ...

Description

''GSP Jupiter'' drilling rig was designed by Sonnat Offshore and was built by

Petrom OMV Petrom S.A. is a Romanian integrated oil company, controlled by Austria's OMV. It is one of the largest corporations in Romania and the largest oil and gas producer in Southeast Europe. Since 2004 it is a subsidiary of OMV. With 2022 reve ...

at the

Galați shipyard The Galați shipyard (), formally Damen Shipyards Galați, is a shipyard located on the maritime sector of the Danube in Galați, a city located in the Moldavia region of Romania. It was founded in 1893 as the ''G. Fernic et Co Mechanical constru ...

in 1987. The rig was completely reconstructed and refurbished in 2007 at a cost of US$55 million. The rig was owned and operated by

from 1987 to 2005 when the company sold its six offshore platforms (including

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...

, Jupiter,

Orizont ''Orizont'' is a 2015 Romanian drama film written and directed by , adapted from the novella ' by Ioan Slavici. Plot Cast * András Hatházi - Lucian * - Andra * Bogdán Zsolt - Zoli * - Pintea * - Adi * Maria Seleș - Victoria * Elena Pur ...

, Prometeu and

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...

) to

for US$100 million. ''GSP Jupiter'' has a length of , breadth of , draft of , height of and depth of . She has a maximum drilling depth of and she could operate at a water depth of . As a drilling rig, ''GSP Jupiter'' is equipped with advanced drilling equipment and has to meet strict levels of certification under international law. ''GSP Jupiter'' is able to maneuver with its own

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

s (to counter drift and ocean currents), but for long-distance relocation it must be moved by specialist

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

s. The rig is capable of withstanding severe sea conditions including waves and winds.

Operations

Currently the GSP Jupiter is operated by the British company Melrose Resources which uses the drilling rig at its

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

and

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

prospects. On 19 May 2010 the GSP Jupiter started a drilling program at the Kaliakra East gas field which is thought to have 59 bcft of natural gas. After finishing this program the rig will be moved to the Kavarna East gas field.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jupiter 1987 ships Jack-up rigs Semi-submersibles Ships built in Romania