Cascade General Awarded Largest Conversion Contract in History of Portland Shipyard

Cascade General, Inc., operator of Portland Shipyard on the US West Coast, today announced it has been awarded the contract for conversion of the Glomar Explorer, a 619-foot (189 m) vessel which will be made into a deepwater oil drilling ship during its Portland stay. This will be the largest, most complex conversion project ever undertaken in the history of the Portland yard, involving fabrication of more than 4.5 million pounds of steel and reactivation of virtually every system on the vessel.  The Glomar Explorer has been on layberth status since 1980 as a part of the Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve Fleet.

The government-owned ship is currently under long-term charter to Global Marine Drilling Co., Inc. of Houston, Texas.

Final decisions on conversion details are still under discussion, but according to Cascade General Executive Vice President Andrew Rowe, the contract could potentially total more than $18 million and mean employment for more than 200 workers a day during a six-month period. Said Rowe, "We are delighted to win a contract of this magnitude. This will be the largest steel project ever performed in Portland. This job will position us as a major player in the US conversion market."

The vessel will arrive in Portland in early February, but design and steel prefabrication work has already begun at the yard. According to Cascade General Project Manger Alan Jones, a 25-year veteran of the yard, the most unique challenge inherent to this job is the removal of two 200' x 74' x 9' (61 m x 22 m x 3 m ) retractable gates that pull forward and aft from the bottom of the ship's hull, and "filling in" the existing "moon pool", measuring 200' x 74' x 52' with approximately 1,600 tons of new structure. That, along with the installation of new interior decking, 4 each 12.5' diameter thruster tunnels, and a variety of ship's gear will enable the vessel to drill for oil in water up to 7,500 feet deep. Portland-based Oregon Steel will be the primary supplier for the 4.5 million pounds of steel the conversion will involve.

"This conversion represents a major commitment by Global Marine to participate in the ultra-deep water drilling market," said Jeff Shepard, Construction Manager for Global Marine. "The drydocking and partial conversion of the Glomar Explorer at Cascade General is a critical milestone in the process of creating a state-of-the-art drillship for deep water exploration. After the work is completed at Cascade General, the vessel will sail to the Gulf of Mexico to complete final outfitting, and commence work for Chevron and Texaco in early 1998."

Other maintenance and repair functions will include the reactivation of all associated electrical, piping and ventilation systems, blasting and coating, drydocking and complete overhaul of the vessel's diesel engines, electric motors and propulsion system.

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Cascade General operates Portland Shipyard, the largest and most complete ship repair and industrial facility on the West Coast of the United States. We provide full-service repairs and conversions for tankers, cruise ships, bulk carriers, container ships, government vessels, tugs, barges and workboats. Cascade General's Portland facility includes a 60-acre (24.2 ha) yard, 550,000 square feet (51,096 square meters) of craft shops, more than 7,600 ft. (2,326 meters) of full-service repair berths, and two floating dry docks.