Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar, the authorized Cat® dealer for the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, recently completed the commissioning of integrated power solutions for the first of the two new offshore jack-up rigs building projects executed by Lamprell the UAE-based rig builder and leading provider of services to the international energy sector. Al-Bahar is among the leading power solution providers in the region, offering dedicated solutions for the oil and gas segment.
It was only natural for Lamprell to turn to Al-Bahar for Cat® generator sets after the company received a letter of intent from the International Maritime Industries (IMI) in December 2018 for the construction and delivery of two Jack Up drilling rigs, based on the proven LeTourneau Super 116E Self-elevating Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) design. The decision to proceed with Al-Bahar and Caterpillar for their power needs was based on Lamprell’s previous experiences and trust built over a 15-year-long relationship that started in 2008, involving building 12 new Jack Ups, one land rig, and over 30 repowers.
Al-Bahar and Caterpillar teams worked together with Lamprell right from the inception stage of the project to design the final power solution needed for the rigs, and in January 2020, when the order was formalized for Lamprell by IMI, Caterpillar and Al-Bahar were both ready with the customized solution required for each rig which included five Cat® 3516C generator sets rated 1530 ekw / 2186 kVA/ 60 Hz / 600 V / 0.7 pf / 3 phase / 1200 rpm, which will be used as a primary source of power. In addition to these five units, a single Cat® 3512C generator set with a rating of 1310 ekw / 1637 kVA/ 60 Hz / 480 V / 0.8 pf / 3 phase / 1800 rpm, was installed for emergency power.
The primary challenge was the project timeline, which was demanding and coincided with the onset of the COVID pandemic, bringing in uncertainty and newer norms. The ready-to-deliver plan and customer-first focus by Al-Bahar ensured all the generators for the rigs were shipped to Dubai ahead of schedule. Cooperation from a reliable manufacturer like Caterpillar helped enable a timely delivery.
Presently, the project status is on the final lap. Installation, start-up, setting to work, and testing have already been completed on the first rig, and the second rig is being worked upon currently. Commenting on the successful completion of the project, Mr. Mohamed El Kaddour, Vice President of Energy & Transportation – Al-Bahar, stated, “As one of the authorized Caterpillar dealers in the region, Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar is proud to be a trusted and valued partner to Lamprell in their rig building programs of offshore jack-up rigs. This mutually beneficial relationship has been nurtured ever since Lamprell built their first rig in 2008 and we hope will extend in the future.”
Deepak Tummalapalli, Territory Manager, from Caterpillar, quoted, “In addition to making available world-class products for the oil and gas industry, we offer technology solutions to help companies work more safely and efficiently by ensuring unmatched support in the field through a global dealer network.” Remarking on the successful partnership, he added, “We are proud to have successfully delivered the project ahead of schedule, in collaboration with Al-Bahar. Caterpillar along with dealers like Al-Bahar make an ideal choice for customers who are looking for clean, reliable, and profitable oil and gas power solutions.”
Furthermore, commenting on Caterpillar’s oil and gas offerings, Tummalapalli mentioned, “It’s time more people realized that we also help power the global energy industry, in addition to being industry leading manufacturers of construction and mining equipment. Since the 1930s, we’ve been helping companies bring oil and gas to the world as cleanly, reliably, and cost-effectively as possible. Today, we serve four main segments—gas compression, well service, land drilling and production, and offshore drilling and production—with diesel, gas, and dual-fuel engines as well as electric motors, generator sets, transmissions, pumps, fluid ends, valves and seats, flow iron, and more.”