The technology of drilling in 7,500 Ft of water

Conference · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6641773

Johnson, A S; Smith, G D

Deep water drilling technology has progressed rapidly since 1965 when the first wells were drilled in water depths greater than 600 feet (183 m). Since the advent of dynamically positioned drilling vessels in the early 1970's, the move toward deeper waters has seen continuous progress. The state of the art of present day technology in deep water has been demonstrated by Shell Offshore, Inc., utilizing the Discoverer Seven Seas drillship which is currently rated for operations in 7500 feet (2286 m) of water. Some of the major factors addressed by Shell Offshore, Inc., and Sonat Offshore Drilling Inc., in order to successfully explore for hydrocarbons in 7500 feet (2286 m) of water are the subject of this paper. These include marine riser, BOP controls and station keeping systems. The topics of riser tension required in deep water, riser hangoff requirements and riser recoil systems are discussed. Blowout preventer stack strength, the integration of two different types of positioning systems and reentry techniques are also important and to some extent not previously addressed. The significance of this technology is that it is specialized to the extent that only one Operator, with its partners, is actively drilling in ultra-deep waters and only one rig is fully capable of completing a 7500 feet (2286 m) water depth drilling program. A tremoundous commitment of resources from Shell Offshore Inc., has resulted in this ability which is clearly on the leading edge of drilling technology.

• Research Organization: Sonat Offshore Drilling Inc.
• OSTI ID: 6641773
• Report Number(s): CONF-840495-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE 12793
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
42 ENGINEERING
423000 -- Engineering-- Marine Engineering-- (1980-)
DEPTH
DEPTH 1-3 KM
DIMENSIONS
DRILLING
EXPLORATION
EXPLORATORY WELLS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MARINE RISERS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
OFFSHORE DRILLING
OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PIPES
RESOURCES
SHIPS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
WELLS