Malaysia's heavy marine industry reached another milestone when offshore drilling contractor, Smedvig Asia Ltd agreed with Malaysia Shipyard and Engineering Sdn Bhd (MSE) to build and construct a drill tender barge, "Smedvig T9".

The contract was signed by Smedvig Asia's managing director Staale Roed and MSE's chief executive officer Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman on behalf of their respective companies.

MSE will be responsible for preparing both the basic and detailed engineering for the project, supplying all material and equipment, (except for the Derrick Equipment System (DES), mud pump and lifeboat), and carrying out the fabrication and installation work. It will also carry out pre-commissioning and commissioning work.

The cooperation between Smedvig and MSE dates back to 1998 when they won a major upgrading contract for the T6 in preparation for a long-term contract with Petronas Carigali.

The project saw delivery ahead of schedule and on budget. Since then, two rigs have been reclassified and an upgrade of the T4building contract, due to start up in a long term contract with Unocal Thailand in April this year, has taken place.

Amongst other things, MSE was awarded the contract because of its continuously improving safety performance, according to Staale Roed, managing director of Smedvig Asia.

The project will take about twelve months to complete, he said. "We should then be able to show you what we mean by saying the most modern and efficient tender rig available on the market."

"The rig is to be built for the South East Asian market, but most of all we would hope that the rig would find work here in Malaysia."

MSE, a diversed heavy industry company started as a major shiprepair yard in 1973, and developed into a major Malaysian heavy industry player.

Its core business activities involves marine repair, marine construction and industrial and process operations.