Aimed at tapping the opportunities in the field of repairing rigs, the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) is planning to set up a dedicated dry dock to repair rigs and submersibles.
Rigs, also known as oil platforms, are large structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store the product till it is transported to shore for refining and marketing.
Semi-submersible rigs make stable platforms for drilling offshore oil and gas. They are towed to the offshore location and anchored there for operations.
A highly-placed official with the CSL told ‘City Express’ that the CSL had ambitious growth plans in the short and medium term. “These consist of setting up an international ship repair facility on the Cochin Port Trust land in Willingdon Island. We are also planning to set up a dedicated dry dock for underwater repairs to rigs and semi submersibles,” the official said. The proposed facility will come up on the shipyard premises itself.
According to sources, no shipyard in India undertakes repairing of rigs and submersibles.
“This means that the CSL can emerge as a pioneer in the sector. It is to be noted that a number of rigs and submersibles are being operated in the Indian Ocean. The nearest repairing facility is in Singapore. Providing repair in the Indian coast will be helpful for the companies as towing these rigs and submersible to a distant location is extremely costly,” sources said.