Shanghai-based Huarun Dadong Dockyard has secured a contract for the Sparta retrofit project， which will convert a semisub rig into a 600-person floating accommodation rig， marking one of China’s more substantive rig-conversion projects in recent years.

The yard signed the deal with Hong Kong-based China Merchants Harbour Engineering. The 2010-built 6th-generation deepwater drilling rig， built by Singapore’s Jurong Shipyard， is scheduled to arrive at Huarun Dadong next week for a 14-month overhaul.

Upon completion around the third quarter of 2027， the platform will deploy to Brazilian waters to support offshore field development， maintenance and hookup work.

Financial terms or the Brazilian end-client were left undisclosed. It is unknown if China Merchants Harbour Engineering will be the accommodation rig’s owner following the retrofit.

The conversion will include a new 500-berth accommodation module on top of the existing semisub structure， as well as sealing the moonpool.

Another 10 new marine evacuation systems will be added. Two more cranes will be replaced， thrusters， electrical and control systems overhauled， and a life-extension programme completed， adding 25 more years of service to the rig. At the end of the life extension， the rig will be 42 years old.