Eng. Shafei addressing 14th Maritime Industries Conference:
IDRO to Build 16 Drilling Rigs / Drydocks for Building and Repairing Ships Launched
The chairman of the board of directors of the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO) has announced that the organization is in the preliminary phases of implementing a project for building 16 drilling rigs benefiting from capabilities of domestic companies.
Addressing the 14th Maritime Industries Conference, Eng. Gholamreza Shafei said: “A limited number of countries hold the technology required for building drilling rigs, which are necessary for oil and gas industries. Other oil-rich countries, including Iran, have to pay some 150,000 dollars per day for renting each drilling rig to carry out drilling operations.”

Shafei, who is also the deputy minister of industry, mines, and trade, added that after the visit of the Supreme Leader to the South Pars gas field and his orders toward expediting the implementation of development plans in the South Pars gas field and emphasizing the need for providing drilling rigs for onshore and offshore operations using the domestic expertise, IDRO

Shafei went on to say that IDRO will embark on manufacturing 16 onshore and offshore drilling rigs benefiting from technical capability of Iranian companies in the field of assessment, finance, and executive management, meeting the world’s latest technologies and the highest standards. Once the drilling rigs are manufactured, they will be handed over to the Oil Ministry for accelerating the South Pars development projects, he added.

The IDRO chairman pointed out that after an approval of the cabinet, IDRO set up a working group comprising manufacturers and operators, and assessed capabilities of manufacturing companies to discuss the work and established a consortium of manufacturers proportional to capacities of the companies and formed a committee of operators to finance the projects and supply the needed drilling rigs for each of the projects.

He emphasized on continuous and permanent support from the national maritime industry and called officials and lawmakers to pay special attention to this issue.

Shafei stressed on an ever more attention to the role of the maritime industry in the national economic development, adding that the association of maritime industries, which was established in 1998, has held different conferences and annual meetings, and has managed to outline the high importance and status of the industries. Under the pursuance of the association as well as support of officials, a law for supporting the maritime industries has been ratified, he noted.

He referred to this decision as a good start to the development of the maritime industry, but added that, unfortunately circulation of the bylaw and the articles of association of the fund for the development of the maritime industries, took a long time. The fund had been decided to be merged with other funds, he said.

The IDRO chairman thanked customers of the maritime industries, saying that the customers have trusted in domestic shipbuilders and made orders to them. This confidence led to the building of huge ocean liners and tankers in the country using indigenized technology, he added.

Shafei called domestic manufacturers to meet obligations about their commitments regarding quality, price, and time of delivery of ships and maritime equipment as well as offering after sale services and play an effective role in the development of this industry.

Compensating the past and accelerating the attainment to technologies as well as meeting obligations are among cases which can make us able to compete in the maritime industries market, he said.

Completing a drydock, building and repairing large ocean liners, in Bandar Abbas are being progressed at a rapid pace and the drydocks have been filled with water to pass required tests, he concluded.