Drilling course

Introduction to Deepwater Rig Operations

Overview

Describes the types of deepwater drilling units (semi-submersibles and DP drillships), their specific equipment, and the techniques used from a rig's arrival on location to cementing the conductor casing, along with major issues, solutions and environmental forces in deepwater operations (300 to 3,000 m).

Course agenda

Module 1: Floating drilling units

  • History
  • Semi-submersibles and DP drillships
  • Environment and rig motions
  • Storage and handling systems
  • Rig inspection and selection
  • Marine support vessels

Module 2: Vessel stability

  • Stability theory and calculations
  • Stability at large angles
  • Ballast control
  • Damage flooding countermeasures

Module 3: Mooring systems

  • Mooring principles and spread mooring
  • Mooring hardware, design and analysis
  • Anchor handling vessels
  • Mooring deployment and anchor recovery

Module 4: Dynamic positioning

  • DP system and position references
  • Thrusters and power systems
  • DP reliability and operations
  • Drive-off and drift analysis

Module 5: Open water operations

  • ROVs
  • Subsea wellhead components
  • Structural and conductor casing

Module 6: Riser systems

  • Riser components and connectors
  • Choke, kill and auxiliary lines
  • Buoyancy, slip joint, tensioners and flex joints
  • Riser analysis and tensioning criteria
  • Emergency disconnect, hang-off and high current operations

Module 7: Subsea wellheads and casing

  • Equipment and running tools
  • Casing operations
  • Cementing equipment and operations

Module 8: BOP equipment

  • Wellhead and LMRP connectors
  • Ram and annular preventers
  • Choke and kill valves and lines
  • MUX control systems and control pods
  • Backup systems and BOP stack testing

Module 9: Emergency disconnect

  • Alarms, sequencing and timing
  • Space-out and drill pipe hang-off
  • Motion compensation
  • Wellbore re-entry

Module 10: Plug and abandonment

  • Abandonment regulations and guidelines
  • Isolating zones and casing shoes
  • Plugging liner tops and annuli
  • Surface plugs and wellhead removal