Abstract
Offshore drilling projects are inherently more challenging to execute due to the increased risks and complexity associated with extreme working condition and unpredictable drilling formation pressure margins.
Since the time we have begun to drill with mud circulating in the hole, the mud pumps have to be turned off every time a pipe or a stand have to be added to the drilling string.
The time spent for those simple operations is not short and the crew involved is often exposed to potential risks: the mud acts as the first safety barrier in the well, without mud circulation drilling accidents, like connection kicks, stuck pipe, etc, could occur. Moreover, repetitive tasks with rig staff and heavy machinery operating in the same tight space is often very dangerous.
The offshore packages discussed in this paper introduce a new frontier for the offshore drilling activities, where everything is designed to satisfy HSE standards and the needs of improve efficiency in offshore activities.
These solutions are composed of a modular hydraulic hoist unit, of an innovative online and offline automated carousel and of a innovative drilling package directly integrated with the other rig equipment.
Not only footprint and weight reduction will be the targets of the next future; in fact, drilling continuously in a fully automated way, without interrupting the mud circulation in the hole even while adding or removing pipes, is crucial in the next future to be safe and competitive in all offshore activities.
