Next Generation: Offshore Drillship design and building market steaming up but not for long with plunging oil price...

Courtesy of Dolphin Drilling

August 2012, Odfjell Drilling has signed a contract with Brazil Petrobras for the charter and service of three drillships that will be constructed at the Jurong Aracruz shipyard in Espirito Santo. Seadrill is leasing another three drillships to Petrobras.The floating drilling vessels will operate mainly in the pre-salt blocks in the Santos Basin, and according to Petrobras, they can operate in depths of up to 3,000 meters, with a drilling capacity of up to 10,000 meters.

The contracts were signed on August 3rd, and they are all associated with Petrobras’s newbuild program, according to a press release from Odfjell Drilling. Odfjell won the contract in conjunction with its Brazilian partner Galvão Oleo&Gás and Sete Brasil, and Petrobras also entered into agreements with Queiroz Galvão, Petroserv and Odebrecht for another six semi-submersible platforms in which KeppelFELS has started its engineering work and construction planning already.

“This is an important milestone in the development of Odfjell Drilling’s Brazilian drilling activities. The contract gives us an strong industrial basis and positions Odfjell Galvão for further opportunities in one of the most prospective drilling markets worldwide”, says Mr. Simen Lieungh, CEO of Odfjell Drilling.

The three drillships under the names “Guarapari”, “Siri” and “Itaoca” will be constructed in Brasil, by Estaleiro Jurong Aracruz, located in the state of Espirito Santo. The drillships will be based on the drillship design of the proprietary of the shipyard, Jurong Espadon, and will be capable of operating at 10,000 ft (3,048 m) water depth and drilling to depths of 40,000 ft (12,192 m). The local content on the ships ranges from 55 to 65 percent, as required by Petrobras which is same as the semi contract. This gives the local labour workforce good opportunity to keep their sleeves busy.

Another three drillships are also being constructed at the Jurong shipyard, and these will be operated by Seadrill, an offshore deepwater drilling company controlled by Norwegian John Fredriksen. Seadrill currently has five drill ships in operation in Brazilian waters, and four are on contracts with Petrobras.

Odfjell Drilling and Brazilian industrial group Galvão Engenharia recently formed a joint venture with the aim to own and manage the three drillships and develop future opportunities in the Brazilian drilling market. In February 2011, Odfjell Drilling opened a new office in Rio de Janeiro as a first step of expanding the activities in Brazil.

The Odfjell Galvão joint venture is owned on a 50/50 basis and will have a 20 percent stake in the three drillships. Odfjell Galvão will be responsible for management of the vessels throughout the contract period.

Odfjell Drilling is currently operating the Deepsea Metro II also on a contract for Petrobras. “The first milestone we reached in Brazil”, according to Mr. Johanson.

Deepsea Metro II is an ultra deepwater drillship owned by Metrostar (60 percent) and Odfjell Drilling (40 percent), suitable for drilling operations at water depths up to 12 000 feet.

Drillship Overview 2010 - courtesy of ABS

Main Drivers for Vessel Design Selection :

Water depth

Environmental conditions - Harsh or benign

Variable deck load

Transit speed

Station keeping

Owners preferences -Some owners have in-house designs or have chosen a specific design for unknown reasons

Yards preferences and qualifications- Most yards have experiences with some designs or have in-house designs

Market requirements - Shortage in market of specific rigs or niche market

Trends in demand of vessel

Waterdepth capability- 12,000ft water depth capability

Innovative designs- Smaller drillships with Panamax beam
Circular shaped rigs
Innovative equipment and solutions
Slim high pressure riser with surface BOP

Drilling mast (as a contrary to derrick) with carousel pipe storage

Below deck riser storage
Dual Derrick

Set riser and BOP while drilling open portion of wells
Can equip Dual Derrick
No patent issues

Less people onboard, less maintenance

Often have so called ”tripsaver” arrangement similar to those used in Semi submersible

POB
1,5 requires ~180 POB
Dual requires ~200 POB Accommodation, lifesaving, galley, utilities etc.

US company Ensco, responding to high market demand driven by an ongoing successful offshore discoveries, has ordered a new advanced-capability, ultra-deepwater drillship to be built at the Samsung Heavy Industries, Co. Ltd. (SHI) Shipyard in Geoje, South Korea. The vessel, ENSCO DS-8, will be the sixth Samsung DP3 drillship in the Ensco fleet, extending the benefits of Ensco’s fleet standardization strategy. It is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2014.

The contract also includes options for two additional drillships of the same design. The fleet expansion will extend Ensco’s advantage of operating the newest ultra-deepwater fleet among global drilling contractors.

Including commissioning, systems integration testing, project management and spares, the construction cost is expected to be around US$650 million. Consistent with the previous five Samsung ultra-deepwater drillships ordered since 2007, the new unit will have advanced capabilities to meet the demands of ultra-deepwater drilling in water depths of up to 12,000 feet and a total vertical drilling depth of 40,000 feet. New features on ENSCO DS-8 include retractable thrusters, enhanced safety and environmental features, improved dynamic positioning capabilities and advanced drilling and completion functionality including below-main-deck riser storage, triple fluid systems, offline conditioning capability and enhanced client and third-party facilities.

The new drillship is based on the proprietary Samsung GF12000 hull design measuring 755 feet in length and 125 feet in width. It will offer a payload in excess of 22,000 metric tons and a 1,250-ton hoisting system. The rig’s design and capabilities include numerous features that increase operating efficiency. Primary to these capabilities are enhanced and redundant offline tubular stand building features and a 165-ton active heave compensating construction crane, allowing for the deployment of subsea production equipment without interference with ongoing drilling operations. The rig, which will be initially outfitted for drilling in water depths of up to 10,000 feet, will be equipped with dynamic positioning in compliance with DPS-3 certification; six-5.5 megawatt thrusters for enhanced station-keeping; expanded drilling fluids capacity; a 15,000-psi subsea well control system with six rams, upgradable to seven rams and/or a second BOP stack; burner boom for well testing; and living quarters for up to 200 personnel.

ENSCO DS6

Ensco’s three active DP3 drillships are currently contracted into 2016 in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa. A fourth, ENSCO DS-6, is currently at KeppelFELS undergoing some minor modifications in preparation for its first well assignment under a five-year contract with BP. ENSCO DS-7 is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2013.

Courtesy of various Drillship Designers

Drillships Listing

June 2013, ENSCO DS-10, advanced-capability DP3 ultra-deepwater drillship based on the Samsung GF12000 hull design will be the eighth Samsung DP3 drillship in the Ensco fleet, further extending the benefits of Ensco’s fleet standardization strategy. It will be built at the Samsung Heavy Industries, Co. Ltd. (SHI) shipyard in South Korea, with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of 2015. The agreement includes an option for an additional drillship of the same design.

ENSCO DS-8 and ENSCO DS-9, also based on the GF12000 hull design, are scheduled for delivery in 2014. Ensco is currently the only drilling contractor offering the advanced features of the GF12000 hull design.

Including commissioning, systems integration testing, project management and tubulars, the construction cost is expected to be approximately US$625 million. Measuring 755 feet in length and 125 feet in width, ENSCO DS-10 will offer a 1,250-ton hoisting system with enhanced offline capability. Like ENSCO DS-8 and ENSCO DS-9, the new unit will have advanced capabilities to meet the demands of ultra-deepwater drilling in water depths of up to 12,000 feet and a total vertical drilling depth of 40,000 feet. It will be initially outfitted to work in water depths up to 10,000 feet.

Features include: retractable thrusters; enhanced safety and environmental features; improved dynamic positioning capabilities; and advanced drilling and completion functionality, including below-main-deck riser storage, triple fluid systems and offline conditioning capability. The drillship also incorporates enhanced client and third-party facilities with living quarters for up to 200 personnel.

A 165-ton active heave compensating construction crane allows for deployment of subsea production equipment without interference with ongoing drilling operations. ENSCO DS-10 includes a 15,000-psi subsea well control system with seven rams and can accommodate a second BOP stack.

Ensco’s four active DP3 drillships are currently working in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and West Africa. Three are contracted into 2016 and the fourth is contracted into 2018. A fifth drillship, ENSCO DS-7, scheduled for delivery later in 2013, is contracted to Total into 2016.

US based Rowan's one of three drillships, under construction in Korea, will work for Spanish oil giant Repsol at a day rate ranging from $614,000 to $624,000, depending on work location. The contract is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2014 following delivery in late 2013.

The drillship is expected to mobilize to West Africa for the first year of its commitment at an effective day rate of up to $624,000 per day. Repsol currently plans to move the Renaissance to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico for the remaining 2 years, at which point, the effective day rate will be $614,000 per day. Rowan Renaissance is the first of three Rowan’s drillships under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries. The drillships of GustoMSC P10,000 design, once completed, will be capable of drilling wells to depths of 40,000 feet in waters of up to 12,000 feet.

Mr Keller says “We are encouraged, though not surprised, by the interest we’re getting in these very high-specification rigs from operators and remain optimistic about our ability to obtain attractive commitments for the other 2 drillships in the coming months. We also received an extension from Hyundai Heavy Industries for our option to build a fourth drillship. We now have until early September to exercise that option at a price substantially similar to what we are paying for the third rig. In the meantime, we continue to see good demand in upward pricing pressure in the high-spec jack-up markets around the world.”

Furthermore, Rowan sees significant strength in the ultra-deepwater drillship market: “We believe the market is ready to absorb additional ultra-deepwater units. We are currently tracking active requirements for 23 ultra-deepwater drillships, including several outstanding proposals. While we continue to monitor projects in the frontier regions of the world, the focus of recent tender activity has been the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and West Africa.”

Drillship - courtesy of ROWAN

From the launch of the "Pelican" in 1972 GustoMSC has been involved in the design and construction of DP drill ships. During the 90's GustoMSC developed a new generation drill ship, capable of drilling in maximum 10,000 ft water depth. In 2007 the development of the P10,000 was taken a significant step further, enhancing the design ready to step into the next generation.

One of the main features is the very large free deck area on both forward side and aft side of the drill floor. The vessel is specially developed to operate in water depths of 10,000 ft up to 12,000 ft and drilling activities to a total depth of 40,000 ft under the drill floor. The drill floor features a large racking setback capacity of 1,580 metric ton (1,750 st).

The design is equipped with a 165 mt heave compensated crane, for operations such as off-line subsea production tree handling, located just aft of the full double activity 4 million pounds derrick, making the vessel a ‘triple activity’ unit.

The ship’s DP system is DP3 compliant with station keeping ability and sufficient power to operate in typical Gulf of Mexico, Brazil or West Africa conditions.

Units built / under construction:

• Ensco DS-2 (formerly Pride Angola) 1999
• Ensco DS-1 (formerly Pride Africa) 1999
• GSF C.R. Luigs 1999
• GSF Jack Ryan 2000

• Deepwater Champion 2010
• Deepsea Metro I & II 2011

• Ocean BlackHawk & BlackHornet 2013
• Bolette Dolphin 2013
• Noble Don Taylor, Noble Bob Douglas,
Noble Sam Croft & TBN 2013/2014

• Renaissance, Resolute & Reliance 2013/2014
• Ocean BlackRhino & Ocean BlackLion 2014

Principal dimensions and main particulars

• Length overall 229.6 m
• Length between perpendiculars 210.0 m
• Breadth (moulded) 36.0 m
• Depth at side 17.8 m
• Depth at centerline (moulded) 18.3 m
• Scantling draught 12.0 m

• Displacement (scantling draught) 76,000 t
• Deadweight (scantling draught) 44,500 t

Classification

The vessel, including her machinery, equipment and outfitting is designed and constructed under special survey of Det Norske Veritas, to obtain the Class notation:

✠ 1A1 Ship-shaped Drilling Unit E0
DYNPOS-AUTRO DRILL CRANE HELDK

Courtesy of NOV, downloaded from youtube. Ocean Black Rhino

Maersk Drilling has it's drillship fleet with advanced design and capabilities to include additional features for high efficiency operation such as dual derrick and large subsea work and storage areas, these allows for efficient well construction and field development activities through parallel and offline activities.

Maersk Drillship

The 228-metre long drillships will be able to operate at water depths up to 3,650 m (12,000 ft) and will be capable of drilling wells of more than 12,000 m (40,000 ft) deep. With their advanced positioning control systems, the ships automatically maintain a fixed position in severe weather conditions with waves up to 11 metres high and wind speeds up to 26 metres per second.

Special attention has been paid to onboard safety. The drillships are operated by relatively small crews, and are equipped with Multi Machine Control on the drill floor, providing a large degree of automation that ensures safe operation and consistent performance.

The main features of the vessel include:

•Multi Machine Control allows all standard operations such as stand building and tripping to be conducted without personnel on the drill floor. This ensures a high level of safety as well as consistency across crews.

•Dual pipe handling maximises uptime and drilling efficiency. While one string is working in the well bore, a second string operates independently. This way casing, drill pipe or bottom hole assembly can be assembled/disassembled and stored in the set-back area, ready for subsequent transfer for use in the well bore, significantly reducing non-productive time.

•The travelling system(crown sheaves, travelling block and main well centre top drive) has a 1,250 tons capacity, enabling a total drilling depth of 12,200 m/40,000 ft.

•Dual mud system ensures efficient change between mud types and completion fluids.

•Spacious accommodation for 230 people and considerable storage and tank capacity for long range and extended time operational capabilities.

•Hands free riser for safe handling of stand building.

•Dedicated guided gantry cranes for BOP and subsea trees handling.

Courtesy of Maersk - Deepwater Drillship

Courtesy of Maersk Drilling

Maersk Drilling has been in the forefront of offshore drilling and she has operated jack-up drilling rigs for more than 40 years in the North Sea as well as in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico. It is a worldwide organisation with 110,000 employees and offices in 125 countries, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. In addition to owning one of the world's largest shipping companies, comprising more than 500 container vessels, the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group is involved in a wide range of activities within the energy, shipbuilding, retail and manufacturing industries. KeppelFELS has already built a few high end drilling jack-ups and semi submersibles for Maersk and currently is still ongoing with the building of three CJ-70 jackup for the company.

Other Maersk facts:

•Second youngest fleet among peers

•First to drill a subsea well from a jack-up (wet BOP)

•Experienced in jacket installation using draw-works

•Extensive HP/HT experience
•Subsea work performed from our jack-ups
•Experienced in working with underbalanced drilling (UBD) tools

•Experienced in combined drilling and production on jack-ups

Rig Fleet - Courtesy of Maersk Drilling

Atwood Oceanics, Inc. announced in 2012, that one of its subsidiaries had entered into a turnkey construction contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (“DSME”) to construct a third ultra-deepwater drillship, to be named the Atwood Admiral, at the DSME yard in South Korea.

Houston-based Atwood Oceanics has three ultra-deepwater drillships under construction in South Korea, to be delivered 2013, 2014 and 2015. Atwood’s wholly owned subsidiary, Alpha Eagle, entered into turnkey construction contracts with Daewoo Shipbuilding in 2011/12.

The three ships will be dynamically-positioned (DP3), with dual derricks, capable of operating in water depths to 12,000ft and drilling to 40,000ft. They will be classed by DNV and registered in the Marshall Islands.

Two yards in South Korea have received a steady stream of orders. More surprising is the volume of orders going to a shipyard in Brazil. Nina Rach explains the details.
The first construction contract, for the Atwood Advantage drillship, was announced in January 2011, with delivery scheduled for September this year, at a total cost of about $600 million. The ship will have enhanced technical capabilities: a seven-ram blowout preventer; three, 100 ton-knuckle boom cranes; a 165-ton active-heave ‘tree-running’ knuckle boom crane; and 200 person accommodation.

The second construction contract, for the Atwood Achiever, was announced in October 2011, and the drillship is to be delivered June 2014, at a cost of about $600 million. The Atwood Achiever will be similar to the previously announced Atwood Advantage.

The third construction contract, for the Atwood Admiral, was announced in September last year 2012, and the drillship is to be delivered in March 2015, at a cost of about $635 million, including two blowout preventers (“BOPs”), project management, drilling and handling tools and spares. The company recently increased the accordion under its senior secured credit facility by $200 million to a total of $550 million, which, together with available cash and cash flows from operations, is expected to fully fund the construction of the Atwood Admiral. Upon delivery, the Atwood Admiral will become the sixteenth mobile offshore drilling unit owned by the company.

The design of the Atwood Admiral will be identical to the previously ordered Atwood Advantage and Atwood Achiever – all three are DP-3 dynamically-positioned, dual derrick ultra-deepwater drillships rated to operate in water depths up to 12,000 feet and drill to a depth of up to 40,000 feet. The Atwood Admiral will also offer two seven-ram BOPs, three 100-ton knuckle boom cranes, a 165-ton active heave “tree-running” knuckle boom crane, and accommodations for up to 200 persons.