What's new on drilling rigs? Just about everything.

From the steel plate to the accommodation modules, from the cantilever to the stabber system, from the mud pumps to the shale shakers, and from the personnel basket to the driller's cabin, everywhere you look, new developments are making drilling rigs lighter, faster, safer and more user-friendly.
Light, tough steel plate
Nippon Steel of Tokyo has developed a type of lightweight steel plate for offshore oil drilling platforms that is 20% tougher than conventional steel. Drilling derricks made from the steel plate are 10% lighter, which reduces the burden on the platform legs, thereby lowering overall construction costs. Nippon has received orders worth about US $12 million (1.5 billion yen) for 26,000 tons of the steel plate for platforms under construction destined for the North Sea and East Timor Sea. The company believes this product will increase its share of the steel market, which is dominated by European steel makers.
Quick modular solutions
Ferguson Seacabs Ltd. has introduced a temporary module for use on drilling rigs called the Modupack. Designed for ease of transportation and rapid setup, the Modupack can be flat-packed and stacked into the space of one-quarter of a prefabricated module. The modules can be linked side-by-side or end-to-end to create multimodule complexes of limitless size. Flat-pack Modupacks can be transported in sets of eight on a standard road trailer, thereby reducing transportation costs. Once on location, unskilled personnel can easily assemble the Modupack in 2 to 3 hours.
Each module is made up of solid steel frames with flexible corrugated steel panels. The strength of the materials used and the integrity of windows and door fittings guarantee a level of security unavailable in alternative forms of quick-setup accommodation.
Modupack modules also are fitted with high-grade heat and sound insulation, making them suitable for a variety of environments, from arctic to tropical. Internal fixtures and fittings - beds, showers and toilets - can be installed as required.
"The speed-sensitive climate in which we now operate demands that accommodation requirements, be they for beds, offices, canteens or sanitation blocks, can be fulfilled almost immediately," said Doug McConnell, business development manager for Ferguson Seacabs.
Bidirectional cantilever
Marine Structure Consultants of the Netherlands has patented an X-Y cantilever system that replaces the conventional longitudinal skidded cantilever and lateral skidded substructure with a single bidirectional cantilever and fixed substructure. The transverse reach is no longer limited by the width of the cantilever, but can reach up to 30 ft (9 m) on either side of the center line. All piping and cabling between the cantilever and substructure are fixed, and the high-pressure mud pumps are on the cantilever, significantly reducing the amount of flexible piping and hoses needed.
This X-Y cantilever will be used on a CJ70-150-MC jack-up rig to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for Maersk Contractors by the end of 2002. This ultraharsh environment jackup will be capable of operating in water depths to 492 ft (150 m) under North Sea conditions.
Stabberless system
Stabbing operations are the most difficult and dangerous tasks to perform on a drilling rig. Working high above the rig floor, the stabber is exposed to rough weather while doing a physically challenging job. Weatherford has developed a safer way of handling casing and tubing. The Stabberless system allows the stabber to perform duties on the rig floor using:
• the StabMaster mechanized hydraulic stabbing arm, which allows the pipe to be moved horizontally for finding the well center;
• ISIS, the remote-controlled Integrated Safety Interlock System, which prevents simultaneous opening of the spider and elevator;
• a flagging device to indicate correct elevator position; and
• SSJE, the Stabberless Single-Joint Elevator, with positioning straps between the single-joint elevator slings and the casing elevator.
With this system, pipe makeup is safe and repeatable.
Hop on a Frog to the rig
Aberdeen, Scotland-based Reflex Marine has introduced a personnel transfer basket that can carry three people. "Traditional transfer baskets haven't changed in 30 years despite a poor reputation for safety," said Stephen Strong, business development manager for Reflex Marine. The new transport capsule, called the Frog, addresses the hazards of falls, lateral impacts and immersion in water.
A tetrahedral frame provides strength and stability, while soft-landing tripod feet protect against vertical impact. Four-point harnesses protect against falling and whiplash, and quick-release features allow for rapid exit. The seats have springs to cushion heavy landings. The Frog is buoyant and self-righting in case of water immersion. About 300 people were carried off one North Sea platform in 5 days in weather up to gale 6.
Said one Conoco safety representative, "I have canvassed all crane ops and personnel who have worked with or rode in the Frog, and I have had a positive response from all concerned. Everyone is in agreement that the Frog system is far superior and safer than the rope basket."
Suitable for crew changes and evacuation directly to a support vessel, the Frog also can be configured to carry a person on a stretcher and one attendant. It is made with durable, fire-retardant materials and was subjected to extensive performance trials and wave pool testing prior to receiving ISO 9002 certification. Also available are low-temperature units for hostile climates to -41°F (-40°C), as used in Kazakhstan.
Integrated drilling cabin
Houston, Texas-based Petron Industries has experienced a brisk interest in its new, fully instrumented drilling cabin. As part of Atwood Oceanic's upgrade of the Hunter semisubmersible under way in Mobile, Ala., Atwood and Petron engineers designed and constructed the driller's cabin, console and work area to provide an efficient and comfortable working environment for the driller.
The console includes many innovative concepts while employing the traditional controls preferred by Atwood's drillers. Timely information and conveniently situated drilling controls enable drillers to respond to the demands of a modern drilling operation. Drillers can work standing up or seated. The climate-controlled cabin is fitted with bullet-proof glass and steel roof grills for maximum safety and protection from potential hazards of rig operations.
Electronic driller
Varco Systems and MD/Totco, both divisions of Varco International, have created a tool to maximize the efficiency and safety of drilling and tripping operations called Electronic Driller. Closed-loop control of selected drilling parameters and the ability to pay out the drill line in precise increments provides a constant drilling state at the bit. Early field tests have shown a 37% reduction in average rotating hours and a 34% reduction in the number of bits used.
"The Electronic Driller offers benefits that far exceed those of manually controlled drawworks or commonly used pneumatic auto-drillers," said Greg Hottle, vice president at MD/Totco. Drilling personnel can enter new values or override the system at any time using a touch screen, and an integrated joystick controls the auxiliary and manual brakes.
Reduced trip times and safer operations are achieved through repeatable, precise positioning of the elevator and calculation of the optimum braking point. Controlled, smooth stops reduce stress on the rig equipment, and controlled acceleration and travel speeds reduce swab and surge effects, thereby reducing borehole damage, formation damage and induced kicks.
Pumps get bigger and smaller
The LeTourneau Ellis Williams Co. (Lewco) introduced its W-3000 mud pump at the 2001 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. The largest, most powerful mud pump ever built, the W-3000 handles up to 3,000 input horsepower (2,237 kW) and provides a maximum working pressure of 7,500 psi and a maximum output of 1,044 gal at 100 strokes/min. The pump features a 16-in. stroke.
Like other members of the Lewco pump family, the W-3000 mud pump has a unique, inherently balanced crankshaft that minimizes vibration for reduced wear, quieter operation and longer life. Other life-extending provisions include triple-redundant lubrication and anti-friction roller bearings.
Lightweight WH-Series pumps are suitable for helicopter lifts, trailers, offshore platforms and other weight-sensitive applications. These compact pumps weigh as little as 7,400 lb, excluding the skid, and have footprints as small as 10 ft by 4 ft (3 m by 1.2 m) over the pinion.
A new testing facility was opened in Houston to load-test any pump as an integral stage of the manufacturing process. Lewco is the only pump manufacturer offering this capability in-house. Besides verifying that a pump is ready to work from the moment it leaves the plant, the new testing facility can perform a variety of special tests requested by customers.
Lewco also has expanded its range of services to include designing and producing balanced crankshafts to replace the worn crankshafts of mud pumps made by other companies. For more information, visit www.lewco-equip.com.
New shaker and centrifuge
Also introduced at OTC were Swaco's new shaker and a variable-speed centrifuge. The BEM-600 is a second-generation elliptical motion shaker. Compared to other shakers, the BEM-600 has a smaller footprint, and the gentle rolling motion consistently provides better solids removal and fluid recovery with less screen wear, said marketing manager Sonny Espey. It has dual decks for scalping and drying, pneumatic screen clamping and a detachable feed trough.
The 518 FVS variable-speed centrifuge was designed to ensure less frequent solids pack-off, cleaner effluents and reduced intervention by personnel. It automatically adjusts to accommodate a full range of drilling conditions. A programmable logic controller constantly monitors operation, and two hydraulic speed variators control the main and back drives. At the control panel, the driller has a choice of manual or automatic operation.
Putting it all together
No one has yet used all of the above innovations on a single rig, but if they did, it would be in a class by itself. Integrating the pieces to work smoothly together is an art in itself. One company that prides itself on being able to pull it all together into a nice, profitable package is Superior Energy Services Inc. of Harvey, La.
Superior has the largest lift boat operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The $18 million Dixie Legacy was built for Power Offshore Service LLC, recently acquired by Superior along with Reeled Tubing LLC. The Dixie Legacy has 250-ft (76-m) legs that lift the boat to form a 9,000-sq ft (810-sq m) temporary deck for servicing wells in waters up to 165 ft (50 m) deep. As a satellite platform for small or not-normally-manned offshore platforms, this large liftboat provides movable living quarters, wireline and coiled tubing equipment and two 175-ton tandem cranes. A second, larger liftboat under construction will be ready in mid-2002.
Due to a series of acquisitions, Superior has an extensive list of services it performs from the largest fleet of lift boats (57) in the Gulf of Mexico. The bundled services approach combines well services, workovers, coiled tubing services, pumping and stimulation, electric line and slickline services, well performance and evaluation and engineering services into an integrated service with a single point of contact. Personnel are cross-trained to perform multiple jobs from a single liftboat.
Bundling services can save operators a lot of money. For example, five of Superior's services were performed on one project, saving the operator 14 days and more than $200,000 compared to ordering these services from separate vendors. This bundled approach also benefits Superior. "We seldom go on a job where two or three ancillary services are not brought in," said Ken Blanchard, Superior's executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Sidetrack rig for Dessert
International Snubbing Services (ISS) developed a new concept for an offshore platform rig after successfully drilling eight sidetrack wells with snubbing units for two major operators. The new rig was designed with a compact 8 ft by 8 ft (2 m by 2 m) derrick with a 420,000-lb hook load and full setback of 15,500 ft (4,728 m) of 3 1/2-in. drill pipe racked in doubles. The hoisting mechanism incorporates three 23-ft (7-m) hydraulic cylinders working over a combination of sheaves giving a total stroke length of 46 ft (14 m). The innovative traveling assembly incorporates an ISS-designed top drive rated to 20,000 ft-lb with an integrated hydraulic swivel to operate a set of traveling slips. Pumps and tanks also have the capability to mix and pump all batch cement up to 100 bbl. Filtration capability also is built into the mud system.
Pyramid Manufacturing is producing the new derrick and substructure (which sits on conventional platform skid beams) to API specifications. An onshore test well was drilled by the first prototype, ISS Rig 17, near Lafayette, La., and several modifications were made before the rig was sent offshore.
ISS Rig 17 was used for successful sidetrack drilling as part of Chevron's Dessert program (Development of Small Reserve Targets) at East Cameron 272 (two platforms), Viosca Knoll 900, South Pass 78 and South Pass 49. The concept, based on advanced snubbing technology, proved to be an economical solution for boosting production from marginal wells on the Outer Continental Shelf, particularly with day rates at their current highs. A second, more advanced version of the rig, ISS Rig 18, was completed earlier this year and contracted to Chevron. A third rig, ISS Rig 22, is under construction with delivery expected in August 2001.
"It is apparent that a fleet of small hydraulic rigs is needed, specifically for the hundreds of Dessert-type sidetrack candidates that exist today in the Gulf of Mexico," said Jack Hardy of ISS.


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