Rig winterization to allow year-round drilling off northern Norway
In the past few years exploration drilling activities in subarctic regions have steadily increased. This trend appears to continue despite downward pressure on crude oil prices and reduced expenditures for exploratory drilling. One reason for the growing interest in the subarctic is the assumption that as much as half the world's undiscovered hydrocarbon reserves are located there. Consequently these great potential regions are developing into some very interesting markets for the 1980s and '90s for the offshore industry with rig builders, drilling contractors, and operating companies as main beneficiaries. The long-ranging environmental impact and the political consequences of a potential oil related disaster will be more severe in these cold-water regions that in most other places. Design requirements for systems and equipment will have to be more stringent than those for other parts of the world. New technology must be developed to meet the subarctic operating standards and safety regulations, some of which yet have to be established. Technical interest in cold-water regions is growing rapidly. Some examples are that trade magazines publish articles covering exploration, production and transportation in arctic and subarctic regions. Offshore exhibitions and conferences offer seminars and work sessions on icing conditions. Engineering institutions present papers focusing on the arctic. Research centers in various countries perform environmental and climatic studies including hindcast projects. Advanced ice laboratories can simulate ice conditions in test tanks on large scale models and run equipment performance tests in ambient temperatures down to --60/sup 0/ C.
- Research Organization:
- Drilling Technology Consultant, Statoil, Stavanger
- OSTI ID:
- 5204128
- Journal Information:
- Oil Gas J.; (United States), Vol. 81:31
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ARCTIC REGIONS
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
NORWAY
NATURAL GAS FIELDS
OIL FIELDS
OFFSHORE DRILLING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
CLIMATES
DESIGN
DRILLING RIGS
ICE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SCALE MODELS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
WEATHER
DRILLING
EUROPE
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
POLAR REGIONS
RESOURCES
SCANDINAVIA
STRUCTURAL MODELS
TESTING
WESTERN EUROPE
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production