Shortly after the launch of the Saldanha Bay industrial development zone (IDZ) in October, one of the largest oil rigs to be serviced in the Western Cape has docked at the Saldanha Bay port.
The Sedco 700, a 90 m semisubmersible drilling unit owned by a Nigerian multinational oil company, would be docked for two-and-a-half months while service and repairs, including a lifeboat upgrade, steelwork, accommodation work and underwater inspection, were undertaken.
The unit was one of four major oil rigs to be serviced at Western Cape harbours between October and December.
Currently, the Port of Cape Town accommodated Transocean-owned semisubmerged ship Marianas, as well as Ensco’s DS-2 drillship, for services and repairs.
“This illustrates the economic impact of the oil and gas vessel repair industry, and specifically the importance of the newly designated Saldanha Bay IDZ, which is expected to increase our vessel repair capacity drastically,” said Western Cape Finance, Economic Development and Tourism Minister Alan Winde.
The launch of the IDZ had marked a new era for the development of an oil and gas servicing and repair hub in the Western Cape, with the IDZ strategically located to serve oil and gas vessels operating along the African coastline.