PV Drilling VIII jack-up rig reactivation and upgrade project

About Customer

Petrovietnam Drilling & Well Services Corporation

Petrovietnam Drilling & Well Services Corporation (PV Drilling) is one of Vietnam and the region’s leading oil and gas drilling contractors, owning and operating a modern fleet of drilling rigs to support offshore oil and gas exploration and production projects. Among its fleet, the PV Drilling VIII jack-up rig, formerly known as West Prospero operated by Seadrill, is a key asset that was reactivated after nearly 10 years of inactivity to strengthen PV Drilling’s competitiveness and meet growing market demand.

Challenges

After nearly a decade of inactivity, the drilling rig’s drive and control systems faced several critical challenges:

Obsolete and discontinued VFD systems, with no spare parts or OEM support.
Full system upgrade required within <6 months.
Seamless integration with NOV Amphion drilling control system.
High project complexity, with international contractors proposing 8–10 months or declining the project.

Solutions

ESEC implemented a comprehensive upgrade of the rig’s drive and control systems, including:

Upgrade to ABB ACS880 VFD drive technology
Control system modernization: Siemens S7-300 → S7-1500 PLC
Control design & programming for Mud Pump, Drawworks and Top Drive
Development of Assignment function for backup Drawworks supporting Top Drive
Full integration with NOV Amphion drilling control system

Results

Safe and ahead-of-schedule project delivery
High-performance and reliable drive system operation
Reduced downtime and faster rig reactivation
Optimized project cost vs. international contractors
Proven capability of Vietnamese engineers in complex drilling drive & control systems

Project Highlights

“Vietnamese Engineers Master Drilling Rig Drive & Control Technologies”