In a farewell dinner hosted by Marcus Chew at Alba 1836 Singapore, Rick Verlinden has said he leaves the job with "very fond memories and with a deep well of pride" in the men and women he has worked with.

Rick has a reputation for working well with clients and employees, and for his relentless commitment towards operations and safety.

Rick also was intrumental to operations and operations support and not only mentored junior staffs but provided guidance to colleagues. These proved invaluable as they soared through the ranks.

Just recently, K. Pasuk, Senior VP of PTTEP, commended crew on board EDrill-2 for their passion in safety culture and efficiently turning rig EDrill-2 into multi-mode capability. Rig EDrill-2 successfully catered to high no. of POBs, complex drilling and completions plus full SIMOPS (for early production) and has safely gone through cyclone season offshore Myanmar.

K. Sarit R., Drilling Superintendent of PTTEP, has this to say of Rick, "I had a great time working with Rick. He's just always positive and has the "Can Do" attitude. I also had a lot of fun with him on the golf course especially watching his 'big banana' slice of the tee-box!"

And in a fitting gesture for an avid golfer, Marcus presented Rick with a personalised Taylormade® M2 Driver.

We wish him happy golfing. Hit them long and straight Rick!

To one of the best people that the company has ever had, congratulations on your retirement Rick!

Taking over from Rick is Graeme Bain, who will officially assume position as EDrill-2's Rig Manager in June 2017.

Rig EDrill-3 while awaiting delivery, is undergoing maintenance, periodic operations of her equipment following a detailed check lists and other OEM procedures necessary to keep her in an optimum ready-to-drill condition.

There is a team of approx. 10 personnel from the yard to operate the equipment for maintenance on a regular basis.

EDrill-3 currently at COSCO Guangdong Shipyard, Area D and Berth no.6 with her DES alongside.

Maintenance is verified by our colleague, Lead QA Inspector, Thomas Wong, who is stationed full-time in the yard.

Shore power connection for both Semi-Tender and DES is provided to keep the heaters operating 24/7 to ensure all the motors and electrical panels are away from moisture.

The emergency and main generators are run twice a month allowing all major equipment in the Semi-Tender to be operated.

Maintenance schedule is also provided by COSCO Yard and followed closely as per OEM’s recommendation.

 
Snippet of Monthly Maintenance Plan

Hull fans and air handling units are also switched on and the machinery spaces and accommodation aired out for circulation.

The mud pumps and drawworks are manually turned with the lubrication pump running.

Concurrently, DES equipment are connected by the yard’s shore power with the heaters hooked up for all the motors and electrical panels. Any equipment in the open are also covered and protected from the elements.

On top of switching on all the heaters for the electrical motors, monthly megger testing of the motors are performed to verify insulation is sound.


Her galley is ready to cook up a storm!

It was the 29th of March, the day EDrill-1 was waiting in anticipation as they were preparing not only to receive our CEO, Marcus Chew, and Rig Manager, Dave Sandall, on-board for a VIP visit, but also VIP visitors from PTTEP. 

K. Pasuk Eagark, Senior VP of PTTEP, was accompanied by K. Pichai Tanamaitreejitt and K. Thananan Thanajaro, senior representatives from PTTEP's SSHE department.

They were welcomed on-board EDrill-1 and given an overview of the day's operations.

OIM Dave W. invited both our CEO and Rig Manager to join him on deck for a worksite visit, which was welcomed as it gave them opportunity to interact with crew members in their respective work areas.

Our CEO walked the ground to meet with various Buddy pairs while performing their daily activities and had numerous quick conversations, before getting together for a presentation.

The presentation was opened by Rig Manager, Dave S., who also welcomed the VIP visitors on-board EDrill-1, before he handed the floor over to K. Pasuk. He started the presentation by thanking EDrill-1's crew for all their efforts and cited the professional manner in which tasks are executed efficiently and safely.

He also highlighted EDrill-1 being one of the more modern rigs with upgraded equipment and systems, stands out from the competitors in this trying market.

He then handed the floor over to Marcus, who began by thanking the crew for the efforts they have put in for their visit.

Marcus then went on to present to the crews on how safety should become part of our DNA. He highlighted that safety is not just something to think about every now and then, but rather part of who we are.

Crew members were given the opportunity to share their experiences on what the Safety Buddy Programme has taught them and how it made a difference for them; knowing that there is someone looking out for them that is more than just a work colleague, but also as a family member.

 
Revelation - Our CEO and PTTEP's Senior VP managed to save the best for last when they announced that EDrill-1’s contract was extended into 2019. This ensures Energy Drilling's presence in the Gulf of Thailand for much longer.

 
Our CEO again thanked everyone for their efforts in working safely and indicated that without each one, progress would not have been possible.
 
Marcus and K. Pasuk celebrate with the crew by popping a few corks and toasting the success of EDrill-1’s crew and rig management, reminding them of what can be achieved if one works together as a team and as buddies.