Archive | The Offshore Frontier
TOTAL aims for ‘routine’ deepwater drilling in West Africa
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, Global and Regional Markets, September/October, The Offshore Frontier
By Jeremy Cresswell, contributing editor The name TOTAL is synonymous with West Africa, and for sure the region ranks as the French group’s number one theater of activity. Moreover, the company has an excellent exploration track record and reputation as a technology frontier buster when it comes to developing discoveries. While many of the headlines […]
Life extension for mobile offshore unites: How old is too old?
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, Drilling It Safely, September/October, The Offshore Frontier
By Gerhard Ersdal, Arne Kvitrud, Petroleum Safety Authority Norway; Wayne Jones, Malcolm Birkinshaw, UK Health and Safety Executive Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series of articles that will focus on the critical issue of asset integrity. The International Regulators Forum kicked off the series in the May/June 2008 issue, presenting findings […]
Modular MDDM top drive designed to cut time for change outs, slash failures
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, September/October, The Efficient Rig, The Offshore Frontier
In 2005, Transocean went in search of a “next-generation top drive” that could significantly improve operational performance to meet customer demands. Specifications required for this new-generation design were tough, including a 99.9% uptime on an annual basis. Out of several ideas proposed by different equipment manufacturers, Aker Solutions’ MDDM (modular direct drilling machine) was selected. […]
API RP 2SK: Stationkeeping: an emerging practice for moored MODUs in GOM hurricanes
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, July/August, The Offshore Frontier
By David Petruska, GoM SPU Riser Technical Authority, BP America Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) in the Gulf of Mexico are a critical part of the infrastructure required for oil and gas E&P. Industry standards that allow safe and economic operations are important to the industry, community and regulatory authorities. Much work has been done […]
Australia is at forefront of biofouling issue, but this environmental challenge may soon go global
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, July/August, The Offshore Frontier
By Linda Hsieh, assistant managing editor A critical issue is emerging on the environmental front that could result in serious consequences for drilling contractors and their operations: biofouling. Sometimes called “invisible pollution,” biofouling occurs when organisms attach to a surface – such as the hull of a ship – and get introduced into foreign ecosystems […]
PV Drilling building new rigs as it eyes Vietnams expanding E&P market, exploration successes
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, Global and Regional Markets, July/August, The Efficient Rig, The Offshore Frontier
By Linda Hsieh, assistant managing editor Vietnam-based PV Drilling is gearing up to be a serious offshore player – just in time, since Vietnam is gearing up for some serious offshore drilling. Just six years ago, PV Drilling – or Petrovietnam Drilling and Well Services Corp – was a company providing small-scale services such as […]
Gulf of Thailand drilling/completion both high tech and high volume, with HSE as core value
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, Drilling It Safely, July/August, The Offshore Frontier
By Mike Killalea, Editor & Publisher Drilling in the Gulf of Thailand (GOT) is not only high-volume work, but presents considerable technical drilling-and-completion challenges. Chevron, the major operator in the GOT, drills some 40% of its global footage there – that’s right, 40%. In 2007, that constituted 3.7 million ft and 310 wells, and the […]
Lifting Safety: Inexperienced employees, deepwater/subsea projects push lifting challenges to new
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, Drilling It Safely, July/August, The Offshore Frontier
“The challenges have shifted,” said Mike Brasic, who retired from BP in May 2008 as lifting adviser and as HSE manager for BP Sakhalin. First, there’s the people problem. “The level of experience among employees has gone down as the level of activity has gone up. That’s presenting challenges with competency that the industry must […]
Case study: HPHT infill well drilled successfully in highly depleted reservoir on UKCS field
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, Innovating While Drilling, July/August, The Offshore Frontier
By L. Fambon, G. Joffroy, TOTAL E&P UK Drilling infill wells on HPHT fields after a significant depletion has occurred represents a difficult challenge. It requires drilling from a cap rock remaining at or close to virgin pressure into a reservoir in which pore and fracture pressures have largely decreased due to production. No mud-weight […]
Seadrill confident in growth, believes modern fleet will pay off, says CEO Thorkildsen
Posted on 30 October 2009 in 2008, Global and Regional Markets, July/August, The Offshore Frontier
By Jeremy Cresswell, contributing editor In Q2 2008, Seadrill landed one of the most spectacular contracts ever awarded in offshore drilling. The client is Petrobras, the revenue potential is $4.1 billion across 18 rig years, and the rigs to be used comprise a trio of sixth-generation semisubmersibles currently in build. Moreover, strategically, Brazil is set […]
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