HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA – Houston-based Naval Architectural and Marine Engineering firm, Zentech Incorporated, has completed a Detailed Engineering Design for International Maritime Industries (IMI) for the construction of the IMI-2030 Class Jack-Up Drilling Rigs (three-legged cantilever-type jack-up drilling unit). This marks an important step as IMI approaches full operational status.

Zentech performed a thorough detailed engineering design of all structures and systems associated with the IMI-2030 Class, including hull, quarters, helideck, cantilever package, drill-floor, legs and spud cans, including foundations. The detailed design entailed all construction details, which enables IMI to build the rig(s) in its own shipyard at Ras Al-Khair, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The detailed design ensures compliance with classifications approved by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), as well as the specifications of IMI’s key customers.
The design is based on the well-established GustoMSC CJ Series, which has been customized from the renowned design series CJ46 to meet the regional offshore drilling requirements with its unique capabilities and efficient design. Together with IMI, Zentech used 3D modeling to finalize details of the design.
“Zentech was selected for its rich, four-decade-long experience in jack-up drilling rig designs and operational knowledge during construction, commissioning, operations and rig moves. Through its multiple offices in the United States, United Arab Emirates, and India, Zentech was able to demonstrate its agility and strong ‘Service Quality’ culture. We look forward to working with Zentech again on future projects,” said Samer Al-Jishi, Vice President of Engineering at IMI.
“We were very excited to work with IMI on this project. This gave us an opportunity to demonstrate our quality and efficiency through our work product, ethics, and culture. We eagerly look forward to duplicating this success in IMI’s future projects. Zentech has always committed ourselves to putting our customers first and providing them with innovative engineering solutions. We see a bright future this great alliance between our two companies,” said Ratheesh Ravi, IMI-2030 Project Manager and Lead Naval Architect at Zentech.


International Maritime Industries is Located at Ras Al-Khair on Saudi Arabia’s eastern seaboard, International Maritime Industries (IMI) is the largest maritime facility in the MENA region, with global ambitions and reach. When fully operational, IMI’s full-service yard will be capable of building four new offshore rigs and more than 40 vessels per year – including very large crude carriers (VLCCs). IMI will provide maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for more than 260 maritime products. State-of-the-art technologies – including artificial intelligence, biometrics and the Internet of Things – are embedded in the yard’s infrastructure, offering customers a cutting-edge advantage in an era of digitalization. IMI is a Saudi Aramco-sponsored joint venture (JV) with partners Bahri, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Lamprell.
Zentech Incorporated is a Houston-based marine engineering, project and construction management and naval architecture firm specializing in offshore oil and gas and renewable energy industries. It has more than 40 years of experience providing innovative engineering solutions and employs professional staff in six international locations. Zentech’s expertise encompasses jack-up drilling units, dynamically positioned semi-submersibles, drill-ships, modular platform drilling rigs, barge rigs, fixed offshore platforms, floating production systems (including reactivation and conversion of existing rigs), EPIC contracts for MOPU conversions, and risers and pipelines. Zentech has been involved in several other unique projects, with specialized expertise. The company’s expertise includes predictive analytics of major drilling equipment, virtual reality, augmented reality, scanning, and unmanned inspections using drones and LIDAR cameras inside tanks, chimneys, large oil tanks and other areas not easily accessible.