Kawasaki Delivers Six Drillship Rexpeller Units

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it delivered six Rexpeller untis to Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., for installation on a drillship owned by the Schahin Group, which is to be chartered by Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), Brazil's state-owned oil company.

The Rexpeller is a fully azimuth-steerable thruster that can generate thrust in any horizontal direction and be utilized as a propulsor, rudder and side thruster. Its excellent maneuverability has made the Rexpeller the perfect propulsion solution mainly for tugboats and supply boats.

The delivered 4,500 kW KST-320LF/AU-model Rexpeller units are Kawasaki’s top of the line model for use in deep-ocean oil and natural gas drillships. The six Rexpeller units on each drillship will operate concurrently to ensure the optimal positioning of the ship, which needs to maintain the exact same location during drilling operations. The Rexpeller units are also Kawasaki’s first with underwater (dis)mountable thrusters. This helps to reduce non-operational time because the propulsion systems can be replaced offshore without the need to dry dock for maintenance. This delivery is for one of the three drillships for which Kawasaki received Rexpeller orders (18 units total) in December 2008. Units for the remaining two drillships serially will be delivered in 2011.

Kawasaki has supplied more than 500 Rexpeller units since it was first launched in 1983, earning the company high praise for its abundant experience and superior engineering expertise. As global demand for energy grows and the development of ocean resources expands, Kawasaki will continue to expand its marine propulsion systems business by pursuing sales of its Rexpeller for use in shuttle tankers, drillships, and other large-size ships used in the petroleum and natural gas fields.

Rexpeller Overview

Product Name: Kawasaki Rexpeller

Model: KST-320LF/AU

Operating Power: 4,500 kW (Kawsaki's most powerful)

Propeller Diameter: 3.8 m