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Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) completed an air transport test flight of a fully assembled subsea capping stack for the first time. The demonstrated expertise has the potential to significantly reduce capping stack mobilization times, and represents the realization of a key objective for OSRL and all those involved in its Subsea Well Intervention Services (SWIS). “At OSRL, part of our mission is to constantly identify new ways to better support our members and adapt to their changing requirements through new technology, equipment and processes,” Matt Clements, OSRL’s Director of SWIS, said. “From our leading role working with the Subsea Well Response Project (SWRP), to the recent development of our Offset Installation System for subsea wells, to today and the realization of another major achievement, we are continuing to lead and demonstrate the value we ...

One of the bleeding edge areas in innovation and rig automation taking place is in the field of self-learning drilling programs. The University of Texas at Austin is pioneering the development of a self-learning drilling application designed to find optimal drilling parameters. The algorithm runs on the NOVOS operating system, which was developed by National Oilwell Varco. Dr Parham Pournazari, a research post-doc at UT, described the self-learning drilling program at the 2018 IADC Advanced Rig Technology conference on 11 September in Austin, Texas. Watch DC’s video as Senior Editor Alex Wukman discusses the new application with Dr Pournazari. For more information about the auto driller app, please read the latest article in the September/October 2018 issue of DC.

Equinor awarded Transocean a contract for drilling six wells on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) by use of the Transocean Norge mobile rig. Drilling start-up is scheduled for the summer of 2019. The rig has also been awarded a contract option for drilling four additional wells and is intended for subsequent continuing options. Transocean has previously signed a framework agreement with Equinor. Transocean Spitsbergen was the company’s first rig to be included as per the framework agreement terms, and Transocean Norge will be the second. The services covered by the contract include drilling services such as slop treatment and cuttings handling, and part of the mobilization fee. Transocean will operate the Transocean Norge and has a 33% interest in the joint ...

By Connor Behrens, Contributor Collaboration and a disciplined process approach helped Halliburton and Total E&P Nigeria to achieve a 60% reduction in lower completion times, standalone screens and open-hole gravel packs on the deepwater Egina field, Ken Johnson, Project Manager for Halliburton, said. The reduction was made between the first and 24th well on the field. Further, upper completion times for the same wells were reduced by 40%, and both lower and upper completion operating effectiveness and run reliabilities were measured at above 97%, Mr Johnson said at the 2018 IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference on 29 August in Bangkok, Thailand. The Egina field was discovered during the early 2000s at water depths greater than 1,500 m (4,900 ft). Project ...