Kenneth Richardson News

ABS announced it has awarded the world’s first Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) – Ready Notation to Ocean Rig for the ABS-classed Corcovado and Mykonos deep water drillships.The ABS MPD-Ready notation demonstrates drilling units have the necessary provisions in place to integrate equipment needed for MPD operations.“Offshore operations in deeper water continue to lead back to a need for reliable and cost-effective technologies” said ABS Executive Vice President – Global Offshore, Kenneth Richardson. “The ABS MPD-Ready notation provides an increased level of confidence that the system meets certain industry standards related to integration of MPD equipment to aid in drilling difficult wells.

ABS granted approval in principle (AIP) for a Tension Leg Platform (DSTLP500) design developed by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd. (DSIC). “ABS and DSIC have a long relationship and have worked closely on a broad range of offshore projects, semi-submersible units, jackups and drill ships,” said ABS Executive Vice President for Global Offshore Kenneth Richardson. “Gaining ABS approval is an important step in helping bring this project closer to realization,” said Wenmin Liu, China Ship Design Master and Senior Offshore Technical Expert DSIC. This unit is designed with four pontoons, four columns and eight tendons, suitable for operation in the water depth up to 500m, primarily in South China Sea.

ABS, a leading provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, formed a joint venture with Notabene Classification Limited to offer regulatory and technical support services, including key classification services to the upstream oil and gas market in Ghana. “This joint venture is an important milestone and demonstrates our strong commitment to advancing safety in all parts of the globe,” said ABS Executive Vice President, Global Offshore, Kenneth Richardson. The ABS and Notabene Classification Limited joint venture will operate under the name ABS Ghana Upstream Limited. With this joint venture, ABS continues to provide technical, integrity test and inspection services in the upstream oil and gas industry in Ghana as it has since 2010.

ABS, a leading provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, issued a managed pressure drilling (MPD) notation to Seadrill’s West Capella ultra-deep water drillship, demonstrating system compliance with the ABS Guide for Classification and Certification of Managed Pressure Drilling Systems (MPD Guide). “As the industry drills in ever more complex and challenging environments it is essential to integrate MPD technology with existing systems – safely – to improve efficiency and effectiveness,” said ABS Executive Vice President, Global Offshore, Kenneth Richardson. “Seadrill is excited to be the first to achieve the ABS MPD Notation.

Classification society ABS has been selected to class two of the major components in Petrobras’ Papa Terra offshore Brazil field development. The tension-leg wellhead platform (TLWP) known as P-61 and the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit known as P-63 will both be ABS classed. The P-61 is the first-of- its-kind TLP dry tree application to be installed in deepwater offshore Brazil. “ABS has a longstanding relationship with Petrobras and, since dry trees are being considered as one of the solutions for deepwater exploration in the region moving forward, we are excited to class this unit and look forward to assisting Petrobras in achieving another milestone in its exploration and production history,” said Kenneth Richardson, ABS Vice President, Energy Development.

ABS is drawing upon the industry experience of Horton Wison Deepwater, a leader in deepwater technology development, to further strengthen its knowledge for the certification of risers and flowlines as a certified verification agent (CVA) for these installations. As part of its overall offshore platform verification program, the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) requires the use of a CVA specifically for riser systems. Risers connected to floating platforms are subject to stringent MMS requirements for design, fabrication and installation.

ABS has issued a series of notations in support of critical well testing activities being undertaken by energy operators worldwide to determine the commercial nature of their reservoirs. The importance of well testing to determine the nature of reservoirs has become even more critical lately as ultra deepwater exploration with pre-salt fields now has operators exploring in water depths surpassing 10,000 feet. Not only is the depth a challenge but also the complexity of the reservoir structures. A vessel or mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) with the equipment and capabilities to engage in well testing, either short-term or extended, is key in gathering onsite data to determine the size and quantity of the hydrocarbon potential.