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Yavuz (Drillship)

Yavuz, formerly known as Deepsea Metro I, is a Turkish-flagged ultra deepwater drillship owned and operated by the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO). The vessel was designed by SBM Offshore's subsidiary GustoMSC and constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea at their shipyard, with a launch date of July 2011. Initially flagged to Bermuda, Yavuz has since been renamed and is now the largest barge in the world.

Yavuz was built for the Greek company Metrostar Management and the Nordic Odjell Drilling (with 60% and 40% participation respectively) at a cost that allowed it to drill wells up until 12.2 kilometers long, with reserves for testing oil without additional support. The vessel features six RF-MAN I9 engines with power generators of 4.3 MW each, as well as two STXT-MAN V18 engines.

The Yavuz operates using the Kongsberg DP-3 dynamic positioning system and has a crew capacity of 210 people on board. Its solid service includes moving to work districts at speeds of up to 10 knots. The vessel's capabilities have been utilized in various regions, including East Africa, where it successfully drilled wells such as Mzia-1, Mzia-2, and Jodarim-1.

One notable operation was the drilling of well Mzia-1 in a neighborhood with a sea depth of 1639 meters. The vessel laid a gas line of approximately 482 meters long under Sverker Karlsson's supervision. In subsequent years, Yavuz continued to drill wells such as Mzia-2 and Mezia-3, which reached depths of 1622 and 1780 meters respectively.

History

The construction of the Deepsea Metro I was a significant undertaking for Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and marked an expansion of its capabilities in deepwater drilling. The vessel's design and construction were influenced by the need to operate effectively in areas with extreme sea depths, such as those found off the coast of East Africa.

Under the leadership of Sultan Süleyman ("The Lawgiver"), who ruled from 1520 to 1566, the Ottoman Empire reached its zenith during Selim I's (also known as Yavuz Sultan Selim) reign from 1512 to 1520. This period saw significant territorial expansion