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 Dolphin Offshore Enterprises India Ltd has received a major order from Instrumentation Ltd for carrying out structural modification work at unmanned platforms in the Mumbai High region of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. Valued at Rs 106 crore, the order is scheduled for completion by May 28, 2011, with work expected to start shortly.
"This is our single largest project of its kind," Satpal Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, Dolphin Offshore Enterprises India Ltd, told Projectmonitor in an exclusive interaction. Describing the order, he said that the project aimed at enabling platform-based drilling operations. For ONGC, this represents a cost-saving exercise, as the cost of platform modification is substantially lower that the charter rate of drilling units. "We have successfully completed five similar projects of this nature in the past of varying values, but this is the single largest one of is kind," he reiterated. Dolphin has been working a sub-contractor for public sector Instrumentation Ltd for similar projects of ONGC, for the past five years.
Dwelling on the challenges, Satpal Singh observed th  at pre-engineering for the project would have to be carried out during the monsoons and hence helicopters would have to be deployed, as marine vessels are unfit for use in this season. Post-monsoon, however, offshore operations would be carried out from workboats. "The biggest challenge will be completion of work in variable weather conditions," the top Dolphin official said. This is a turnkey order consisting of pre-engineering survey, design engineering, procurement and fabrication, offshore installation and commissioning, Singh explained.
In view of the cost efficiency of platform modificatioZn vis-a-vis hiring of drilling units, Singh exuded confidence that ONGC would actively pursue such projects in future. "We anticipate that ONGC will continue similar projects at least for the next five years on remaining well platforms in the Mumbai offshore region and other satellite fields," Satpal Singh observed.
The public sector petroleum major ONGC has planned to incur capital expenditure of Rs 75,000 crore during the ongoing 11th Plan period (2007-12) as against an estimated Rs 46,500 crore in the preceding plan period.
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