One of the world’s largest oil rigs has been taken off line and docked at Harbor Island in Port Aransas, Texas. The rig arrived Thursday morning, July 28, 2016. Courtesy Photo
The Noble Jim Day oil rig, one of the largest in the world, finally arrived in Port Aransas Thursday, July 28. The giant rig will remain docked at Harbor Island for an unknown period of time, according to the Noble Corporation which owns the rig.
Originally expected around July 10, the rig was delayed by bad weather in the Gulf of Mexico. Before closing down, it operated some 200 miles south of New Orleans. The closing cost around 150 workers their jobs and was brought on by the global drop in oil prices.
The Jim Day now rests next to another giant rig that suffered the same fate last year: the West Sirius.
The Noble Corporation has promised the semi-submersible Jim Day rig will be warehoused with a minimum amount of lighting and generator noise. As part of the City of Port Aransas, Harbor Island residents, whether human or man-made, are expected to adhere to city ordinances governing light and noise. The island is owned by the Port of Corpus Christi.
Oil from the Jim Day rig went to Shell Oil Company until its contract expired in January 2016. The now shelved rig was built in 1999 and upgraded in 2010 to operate in a water depth of 12,000 feet and drill to a depth of 37,000 feet.
