GOODWYN ‘A’ DRILLING FACILITIES

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 343
Author(s):  
Derek C. Morrow ◽  
Nick E. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Modular Design ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
High Standard ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Contract Administration ◽  
Modular Concept ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Drilling Rigs ◽  
Safety Systems

The Drilling Facilities Package designed and developed by Atwood Oceanics Australia Pty. Ltd. for operation on Woodside Offshore Petroleum Pty. Ltd.'s Goodwyn 'A' Platform will break new ground in the development and application of offshore modular drilling rig technology when commencement of offshore drilling is achieved. These facilities are among the largest, specifically designed, offshore demountable drilling rigs in the world today.Initially, Woodside performed sufficient engineering to determine a design specification for the Drilling Facilities which detailed the types of equipment necessary and the final performance characteristics required by the finished facility to drill the Goodwyn 'A' production wells.Following award of the Drilling Facilities Contract to Atwood Oceanics in 1989, Woodside's role was essentially related to technical interface and contract administration management. The responsibility for the design, fabrication, commissioning and operation of the Drilling Facilities lay with Atwood Oceanics.The Drilling Facilities consist of fifty-two (52) small modules, each weighing up to 105 tonne. These modules are assembled into three (3) major structural packages, these being the Drilling Support Facilities, weighing some 1300 tonne, the Sub-Base weighing 1100 tonne and the Derrick weighing 260 tonne. Total operating weight of the facilities will exceed 4500 tonne.The modular design of these facilities was developed by Atwood Oceanics from previous modular rig design of relatively simple facilities and technical scope, up to the high capacity, technical complexity and flexibility in design demanded for operation on the Goodwyn 'A' Platform. Following the issue of the Cullen Report on the Piper Alpha Disaster, extensive control and monitoring safety systems were included in the design. These systems have had an adverse impact on the modular concept due to the large increase in electrical interfaces, however the modular concept remains sound and viable.Modular rig design has allowed a Drilling Facility to be developed which has accrued savings in design, fabrication, fit-out, transport and installation and has resulted in reduced overall installed weight. These savings are real and demonstrable when compared with conventional large-module drilling rig packages of similar scope and complexity. Unlike its North Rankin 'A' development, Woodside elected to have the Drilling Facilities for Goodwyn 'A' designed, procured, fabricated and commissioned by an experienced drilling contractor, who will then operate and maintain the rig during the drilling phase (P.Scott et al., 1991). Woodside will realise substantial cost savings at the point when the facilities are installed and ready to drill. Further savings will accrue during drilling operations by allowing the drilling contractor more autonomy and responsibility (eg. maintenance of the complete drilling facilities will be by contractor personnel).The relative ease of removal of the facilities and potential for re-use on other installations will generate additional significant cost benefits in the future.The Drilling Facilities are state-of-the-art in their applied technology and are capable of year-round, self-contained operation for the drilling of highly deviated, long reach wells of up to 72° deviation from the vertical and up to 7000 m along hole depth.This paper provides an overview of the design, fabrication, fit-out, onshore commissioning, transport and installation of the modules which comprise the Goodwyn 'A' Drilling Facilities, for which Atwood Oceanics were awarded a Commendation for a High Standard of Engineering Achievement at the Institution of Engineers, Australia 1992 Engineering Excellence Awards.

Microhole Coiled Tubing Drilling: A Low Cost Reservoir Access Technology

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent Perry
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Coiled Tubing ◽  
Drilling Technology ◽  
Drilling Rigs ◽  
The U.S

Although the microhole coiled tubing drilling rigs have been used extensively in Canada, their application in the U.S. has been very limited. In an effort to introduce this technology to the U.S. operators, GTI, with the support of DOE∕NETL, has completed a successful field testing of the coiled tubing microhole drilling technology. In this paper we report results of field testing of the system in 25 wells drilled in the Niobrara unconventional gas play of Kansas and Colorado. The objective of the field test was to measure and document the rig performance under actual drilling conditions. In these tests, a coiled tubing drilling rig (designed and built by T Gipson with Advanced Drilling Technologies Inc.) was utilized. The rig operations have continued to improve to the point where it now drills a 3100ft well in a single day. Well cost savings of approximately 30% over conventional rotary well drilling have been documented. A description of the rig and a summary of its performance in the Niobrara unconventional gas play are included. In addition, an estimate of economic advantages of widespread application of microhole drilling technology in the lower 48 states is presented.

Innovative Ice Protection for Shallow Water Drilling: Part I — Presentation of the Concept

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Gu¨rtner ◽  
Ove Tobias Gudmestad ◽  
Alf To̸rum ◽  
Sveinung Lo̸set
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Modular Concept ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Drifting Ice ◽  
Ice Impacts ◽  
Jack Up ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Ice Period

Recent discoveries of hydrocarbons in the shallow waters of the Northern Caspian Sea arise the need for intensive drilling activities to be carried out in the near future in order to explore the potentials. Experience with mobile drilling units in the seasonally ice infested waters solely originates from the current drilling campaign of the Sunkar drilling barge at Kashagan and Kalamkas. However, with increased drilling activities upcoming, innovative drilling concepts are desirable due to the objective of maintaining drilling operations during the ice period with conventional non-ice-resistant drilling platforms. Hence, this paper suggests the employment of external Shoulder Ice Barriers (SIBs) to protect a conventional jack-up drilling rig from the hazards of drifting ice in shallow water. The SIB’s design is suggested to increase the ice rubble generation at the ice facing slope and thereby provide sufficient protection from drifting ice impacts. The modular concept of the SIB makes it possible to deploy each module in a floating mode to site, whereupon they are ballasted and connected to each other, forming a sheltered position for the jack-up. Subsequent to the termination of the drilling campaign the SIB modules may be retrieved by de-ballasting and tow out, without having significant impact on the environment. This paper presents, on a technical feasible level, the concept of ice protection in shallow water by means of SIBs.

Microhole Coiled Tubing Drilling: A Low Cost Reservoir Access Technology

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kent F. Perry
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Field Testing ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Unconventional Gas ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Coiled Tubing ◽  
Drilling Technology ◽  
Drilling Rigs ◽  
The U.S

Although The Microhole Coiled Tubing Drilling rigs have been used extensively in Canada, their application in the U.S. has been very limited. In an effort to introduce this technology to the U.S. operators; GTI, with the support of DOE/NETL has completed successful field testing of coiled tubing microhole drilling technology. In this paper we report results of field testing of the system in 25 wells drilled in the Niobrara unconventional gas play of Kansas and Colorado. The objective of the field test was to measure and document the rig performance under actual drilling conditions. In these tests, a coiled tubing drilling rig (designed and bulit by Tom Gipson with Advanced Drilling Technologies Inc. (ADT)) was utilized. The rig operations have continued to improve to the point where it now drills a 3,100-foot well in a single day. Well cost savings of approximately 30% over conventional rotary well drilling have been documented. A description of the rig and a summary of its performance in the Niobrara unconventional gas play are included. In addition, an estimate of economic advantages of widespread application of microhole drilling technology in the Lower 48 States is presented.

Operational Challenges for Drilling Shallow Water Wells With Dynamically Positioned Rigs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Vaidya ◽  
Mahesh Sonawane
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Weak Link ◽  
Mitigation Options ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Water Wells ◽  
Fatigue Monitoring ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Drilling Rigs ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Traditionally, shallow water wells have been drilled from fixed platforms, jack-ups or moored drilling rigs. Recently there has been increased interest in performing operations on these wells using new generation of Dynamically Positioned (DP) rigs, driven by available capacity of these rigs and environmental regulations that restrict laying anchors on the seabed. Shallow water offshore drilling operations present a set of unique challenges and these challenges are further amplified when operations are performed on older wells with legacy conductor hardware with newer DP vessels and larger BOPs. The objective of the paper is to present challenges that occur during drilling in shallow water and discuss mitigation options to make these operations feasible through a series of case studies. Key challenges to optimizing riser operability and rig uptime are discussed. Potential modifications to the upper riser stack-up and rig deck structure for maximizing operational uptime are discussed. Riser system weak point assessment is presented along with solutions for mitigating risks in case the wellhead or conductor structural pipe is identified as the weak link. Selection of the drilling rig can have significant impact on wellhead fatigue response. Some criteria for rig selection based on drilling riser and wellhead system performance is presented with the objective of optimizing the fatigue performance of the wellhead and conductor system. Wellhead fatigue monitoring solutions in combination with physical fatigue mitigation options are presented to enable operations for fatigue critical wells.

An Ergonomics Perspective on Safety in the Oilfield

1989 ◽  
Vol 33 (15) ◽  
pp. 999-1003
Author(s):  
Ron W. Wardell
Keyword(s):  
Scenario Analysis ◽  
Moving Objects ◽  
Complete Solution ◽  
Minimum Cost ◽  
Industry Structure ◽  
Work Situation ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
Conceptual Changes ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Drilling Rigs

Safety analyses of drilling operations are often written from the perspectives of regulation, economics, industry structure, etc. The ergonomic perspective on safety emphasizes that equipment and operations should be designed in light of human capabilities and limitations. To demonstrate this approach a scenario analysis was performed on records for 134 safety incidents on oilwell drilling rigs. The characteristics of the most critical scenarios were then considered to determine the extent to which the ergonomics of environment, equipment, and work methods might have contributed. Ergonomic data was collected at four drilling sites, including a prototype semi-automated rig. From both ergonomic and safety perspectives, the work situation of operators on a conventional rig floor is most in need of remediation. Mechanical pipe handling would provide the most complete solution to this unpleasant and unsafe environment, its strenuous and over-extending tasks, and the risks inherent in putting people near heavy moving objects. Significant improvements can be made at the detail level and at minimum cost in some tasks. Improvement in other tasks requires basic conceptual changes in rig systems and architecture. To realize their potential, new rig concepts must be carefully and systematically designed, and ergonomics should be considered throughout their design.

Numerical Simulations of Ocean Drilling System Behavior With a Surface or a Subsea BOP in Waves and Current

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celso K. Morooka ◽  
Raphael I. Tsukada ◽  
Dustin M. Brandt
Keyword(s):  
System Behavior ◽  
Traditional System ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Ocean Drilling ◽  
Sea Bottom ◽  
Drilling System ◽  
Drilling Rigs ◽  
High Level ◽  
Drilling Bit

Subsea equipment such as the drilling riser and the subsea Blow-Out Preventer (BOP) are mandatory in traditional systems used in deep sea drilling for ocean floor research and petroleum wellbore construction. The drilling riser is the vertical steel pipe that transfers and guides the drill column and attached drilling bit into a wellbore at the sea bottom. The BOP is used to protect the wellbore against uncontrolled well pressures during the offshore drilling operation. Presently, there is a high level of drilling activity worldwide and in particular in deeper and ultra-deeper waters. This shift in depth necessitates not only faster drilling systems but drilling rigs upgraded with a capacity to drill in the deep water. In this scenario, two general drilling systems are today considered as alternatives: the traditional system with the subsea BOP and the alternate system with the surface BOP. In the present paper, the two systems are initially described in detail, and a numerical simulation in time domain to estimate the system behavior is presented. Simulations of a floating drilling rig coupled with the subsea and surface BOP in waves and current are carried out for a comparison between the two methods. Results are shown for riser and BOP displacements. Critical riser issues for the systems are discussed, comparing results from both drilling system calculations. Conclusions are addressed showing advantages and disadvantages of each drilling system, and indicating how to correct the problems detected on each system.

Drilling Riser Disconnection Challenges in Ultra-Deep Water

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Diezel ◽  
Germain Venero ◽  
Victor Gomes ◽  
Leandro Muniz ◽  
Rafael Fachini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Good Representation ◽  
Regular Wave ◽  
Computational Simulations ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Dynamic Positioning System ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Wave Approach ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
The Time Domain

With the extension of the offshore drilling operations to water depths of 10,000 ft and beyond, the technical challenges involved also increased considerably. In this context, the management of the riser integrity through the application of computational simulations is capital to a safe and successful operation — particularly in harsh environments. One of the main challenges associated with keeping the system under safe limits is the recoil behavior in case of a disconnection from the well. The risk that an emergency disconnect procedure can take place during the campaign is imminent, either due to failure of the dynamic positioning system or due to extreme weather in such environments. Recent work [1] in the field of drilling riser dynamic analysis has shown that the recoil behavior of the riser after a disconnection from the bottom can be one of the main drivers of the level of top tension applied. Tension fluctuations can be very large as the vessel heaves, especially in ultra-deep waters where the average level of top tension is already very high. In order to be successful, a safe disconnection must ensure that the applied top tension is sufficient for the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) to lift over the Blow-Out Preventer (BOP) with no risk of interference between the two. This tension should also not exceed a range in which the riser will not buckle due to its own recoil, that the telescopic joint will not collapse and transfer undesirable loads onto the drilling rig or that the tensioning lines will not compress. A good representation of such behavior in computational simulations is therefore very relevant to planning of the drilling campaign. A case study is presented herein, in which a recoil analysis was performed for a water depth of 11,483ft (3,500m). Numerical simulations using a finite element based methodology are applied for solving the transient problem of the riser disconnection in the time domain using a regular wave approach. A detailed hydro-pneumatic tensioning system model is incorporated to properly capture the effect of the anti-recoil valve closure and tension variations relevant during the disconnection. A reduction of conservativism is applied for the regular wave approach, where the maximum vessel heave likely to happen in every 50 waves is applied instead of the usual maximum in 1000 waves approach. ISO/TR 13624-2 [4] states that using the most probable maximum heave in 1000 waves is considered very conservative, as the event of the disconnection takes place in a very short period of time. The challenges inherent to such an extreme site are presented and conclusions are drawn on the influence of the overall level of top tension in the recoil behavior.

Petroleum Well Blowouts as a Threat to Drilling Operation and Wellbore Sustainability: Causes, Prevention, Safety and Emergency Response

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamzeh Ghorbani ◽  
◽  
Mohammad Reza Abdali ◽  
Nima Mohamadian ◽  
David A. Wood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Surface Damage ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Fire Control ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Well Control ◽  
Drilling Operation ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Petroleum Wells ◽  
Safety Systems

Sustainability in petroleum wells drilling operation systems strongly depends on the use of sustainable materials and a set of technical and safety measures that lead to the survival and proper operation of drilling rig equipment's and personnel. Adherence to the highest levels of standards of tools, materials and methods, although always recommended as the most important option for advancing a safe drilling operation and completing the well efficiently, low risk and stable, but drilling operation is inherently a battle with underground challenges and unexpected dangers. Learning from past such well blowout events and the problems they pose to rapidly control is essential to reduce future impacts including injuries, damage and emissions. Such analysis offers guidance for adapting working practices to improve both prevention and emergency response to such incidents. The causes of blowout during drilling and the necessary technical and safety measures to adopt are reviewed, highlighting how best practices can prevent blowout incidents by improving responses to early warning signals. The particular risks associated with potential shallow gas blowouts are identified and described with the aid of a case study associated with a catastrophic blowout of an onshore well in Iran and the methods used to ultimately control it. The multiple causes of the incident relating to defects in safety systems, equipment and operating procedures are addressed. Lessons learned from the incident reveal the complexity of well control once a blowout incident has occurred and developed into a surface fire. from the stage of the incident to fire control. There is a need for further research into top-hole well kill techniques for wells in a blowout state, as drilling bottom-hole relief wells takes substantial time, during which much surface damage, resource loss and emission typically occurs.

A new type of drilling rig powered by the Meissner effect

2020 ◽  
pp. 31-34
Author(s):  
O. M. Koryagina ◽  
E. S. Erastova ◽  
T. V. Skvortsova
Keyword(s):  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Meissner Effect ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
New Type ◽  
Drilling Rigs

The article considers the use of the quantum levitation property of a superconductor for the modernization of a new type of drilling rig system. The diagrams of the propulsion system of the rig, on the basis of which conclusions are made about the profitability and economic efficiency of the drilling rig, are provided. The use of the quantum levitation effect can be rationally used in drilling rigs, increasing the efficiency by 9%.

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