KEPPEL AmFELS LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) in the United States, has delivered a KFELS B class jackup rig, Uxpanapa, to Mexico's Central Panuco SA De CV (Central Panuco).

Central Panuco is a subsidiary of Perforadora Central SV De CV.

Keppel O&M on Thursday morning said that the delivery was on time and within budget.

The rig was christened on Wednesday at Keppel AmFELS' yard in Brownsville, Texas, by the owners of Central Panuco.

Uxpanapa is the the fifth jackup rig built by Keppel AmFELS for Perforadora Central and the second based on Keppel's proprietary KFELS B class design.

Said Simon Lee, president of Keppel AmFELS, at the ceremony: "As the most established shipyard in the Gulf of Mexico, we are able to understand and meet the needs of our customers. Our strong position in the gulf coupled with our execution expertise enable us to support rig owners in the region with a wide variety of solutions including newbuilds, repairs and conversions."

Uxpanapa will be chartered by PEMEX, the Mexican national oil company, for work in offshore Mexico.

Patricio Alvarez Morphy Orvañanos, senior vice-president of Central Panuco, added: "In the current challenging market conditions, oil companies such as PEMEX prefer highly cost-efficient and reliable equipment such as the KFELS B class jackup rig which has a proven track record operating in Mexico. The Tonala, our current KFELS B class jackup, has been performing outstandingly for PEMEX."

Keppel AmFELS previously completed Tonala for Perforadora Central in 2004, followed by three LeTourneau S116E rigs - Tuxpan in 2010, Papaloapan in 2013 and Coatzacoalcos in 2014.

Keppel O&M is the leading rig provider to the Mexican market having delivered 16 projects, including this latest rig, with another four on order.