Drilling Solution News

Vard Holdings Limited (VARD) has announced that through its subsidiary Seaonics, it has acquired ICD Software, a leading provider of automation and control system software for the offshore and marine sectors. Established in 2011 and 51% controlled by VARD, Seaonics delivers winches, cranes and handling equipment to the offshore and maritime sector. The company has developed cranes for critical offshore lifting operations up to 250t, and is one of the market leaders for Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS). Prior to the transaction, Seaonics employed 50 employees in Norway and a subsidiary in Poland. ICD Software is specialized in the development of automation software and control systems, and employs 63, half of which in Norway and the remainder in two subsidiaries in Poland and Estonia.

Archer, the global oilfield service provider, has secured a contract with Statoil for the permanent plugging and abandonment of 12 gas wells on the Heimdal field in the Norwegian North Sea. Archer has selected the German rig manufacturer MAX STREICHER GmbH & Co. KG aA for its VDD 400.2 -TOPAZ modular drilling rig to decommission and seal existing bore holes. The VDD 400.2 has been developed in accordance with the NORSOK Norwegian safety standards. The whole rig consists of modules that do not exceed 12 metric tons and is cost effective due to quick erection and dismantling of the rig using the drilling platform’s own cranes. PALFINGER MARINE will support this innovative drilling solution with two offshore cranes: the PK 23500 M knuckle boom crane and the PKM 700 T pipe handling crane.

Keppel and ConocoPhillips to design first ice-worthy jackup rig for the Arctic Offshore. Joint project will yield breakthroughs in offshore Arctic drilling. Keppel Offshore & Marine Technology Centre (KOMtech), a design and engineering arm of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M), and ConocoPhillips are jointly designing a first-of-its-kind ice-worthy jackup rig to operate in one of the harshest marine frontiers, the Arctic Seas. This jackup rig will have dual cantilevers to optimise drilling operations within a limited time window. The rig is capable of operating in a self-sustained manner for 14 days and is equipped with a hull that is designed for towing in ice.

Statoil is the first operator in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico to adopt the Riserless Mud Recovery (RMR) system that reduces discharges to sea. This environmentally sensitive drilling solution has been used on the Discoverer Americas drill ship on the Statoil-operated Krakatoa prospect. "The RMR system allows us to circulate the mud, reducing the total mud consumption and discharges to sea to a quarter of the amount compared with conventional methods," explained Tore Grønås, Statoil's superintendent for the Discoverer Americas drill ship.

A new method which simplifies drilling operations in unstable formations has been tested by Statoil on the Brage field. This “liner drilling” solution makes it possible to operate with a well liner attached directly to a steerable drillstring, and represents a global innovation. In conventional drilling, work has to halt while the string is pulled from the well and a liner set to prevent the borehole walls from collapsing. “Setting liner while drilling means we don’t have to leave the borehole open and minimises the risk of collapse,” explained Geir Slora, head of drilling and well at Statoil. In order to enhance the profitability of mature fields, Statoil is constantly working to improve their recovery factor. Liner drilling can contribute to these efforts.