Introduction to Offshore Drilling
Offshore drilling is also called ocean drilling. Offshore drilling is a drilling project for the exploration and development of seabed oil and natural gas in the continental shelf area. The drilling depth is generally several thousand meters. The deepest offshore oil drilling can reach more than 6,000 meters.
Offshore Drilling and Completion
Drilling of offshore production wells: After offshore oil and gas exploration, the oil and gas fields can be drilled for the purpose of development after the overall development plan (ODP) is formulated and approved.
Offshore well completion: well completion starts from the completion of casing and cementing. Including perforation, sand control, lower production string or overhaul, stimulation operations, etc., until the whole process of delivery to production after normal production.
Usually the drilling and completion operations are integrated, and the method of batch drilling and batch completion is adopted. Specifically, the drilling department of each branch of the company is responsible for the organization and implementation, and the offshore construction platform drilling and completion supervision is appointed as the operation representative, who is responsible for organizing and coordinating the offshore completion operations and carrying out the construction according to the design.
Finding oil is the initial step in the offshore drilling process. Special underwater microphones capture the sound waves as they travel to the ocean floor and rebound back (hydrophones). This information can be used by scientists to identify ocean regions that are most likely to contain commercially viable oil and gas resources.
An exploratory well will be drilled after a possible oil reserve has been located. A mobile offshore drilling unit is used for this.
Mobile Offshore Drilling Units Come in Five Different Categories
- Rigs for submerging
Submersible rigs also function in shallow water like drilling barges. Once in place, a portion of the structure is submerged. Most submersible rigs can operate down to a maximum depth of 175 feet.
- Drilling barges
Drilling barges are substantial floating platforms that are hauled into position and anchored in place while drilling takes place. They are often employed in shallow water in calm weather and sea conditions. Drilling barges may drill up to 3.7 miles beneath the seabed and typically operate at water depths of 15 to 150 feet.
- Jack-Up Drills
These drilling platforms are supported by three or four enormous legs that are anchored to the sea floor. The legs of jack-up rigs are lowered to the ocean floor after they have been towed into position. The platform is raised above the sea once all the legs are in place in order to protect it from shifting tides and ocean swells. Jack-up rigs can drill down as far as 5.6 miles into the seabed and normally operate in water depths between 80 and 500 feet.
- Rigs for semi-submergence
Semi-submersible drilling rigs are made for deep-water offshore drilling and are tethered with anchors while drilling operations are underway (sometimes up to a dozen). These drilling rigs have a working range of 1,600 to 9,800 feet of water and have a maximum drilling depth of 6.2 miles below the seabed.
- Ship drills
Drill ships are designed for deep-water drilling. They can independently find the drill site thanks to their mobility, and they employ a combination of anchoring and propulsion to maintain their stability as they dig for oil. Drill ships can drill to depths of more than 7.45 miles into the seabed and can operate in water as deep as 1,600 to 11,975 feet.
The above are some introductions of mobile platforms for offshore drilling.
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