One of the drilling ships that was seen in Malta during the early 80’s, even drydocked at Malta Drydocks was the PACNORSE I.
She was built in 1979 by Scotts Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Greenock, United Kingdom as yard number 746 and named as PACNORSE I for Pacnorse Drilling Corporation 1 Ltd (Kristian Jebsens Rederi A/S Bergen Norway as manager) Monrovia Liberia.
Originally she was part of a trio by the Santa Fe International Corp. as Yard No. 745, 746 and 747, and had been scheduled for delivery during 1977 and 1978 to their subsidiaries Ocean Drilling Corp, Ocean Drilling Corp. 1 and Ocean Drilling Corp. 2. Jebsens took over the contracts for the remaining pair and had them re-scheduled for delivery in 1979 and 1980, and subsequently allocated the names PACNORSE I and PACNORSE II having created Pacnorse Drilling Corporation I and II as the owning companies. Having further studied the market for this type of vessel in greater detail however, and so as not to financially overstretch themselves, yard No. 747 was cancelled during September 1977.
Later she was sold in 1996 and renamed as PEREGRINE II; sold again in 2005 and renamed FRONTIER PHOENIX; again in 2011 as NOBLE PHOENIX ; in 2014 as PARAGON DPDS1.
26.08.2017 – She broke moorings during Hurricane Harvey at Port Aransas Texas and blown ashore , later she was towed to Corpus Christi for inspection.
27.09.2017: Arrived at Brownsville, Texas, USA for demolition by International Shipbreakers Ltd
