Offshore Drilling and Production Equipment

Offshore drilling and production equipment includes various types of drilling rigs. Some types are self-erecting platform rigs that can be rigged quickly and easily on land. Larger rigs require the installation of derrick barges that may take several days or longer. Once drilling is complete, platform rigs are removed from the platform. There are also rigs called tender-assist rigs. These are monohull units that perform all of the functions of a platform rig from the tender. But the list doesn't stop here! There are many more types which you can know about following in this article.

Fixed platform design

Fixed platforms are immobile, and they offer the necessary support for heavy drilling rigs and production equipment. They resemble gravel islands. Because of their gravity-based design, they are less prone to ice damage than other types of structures, and they can be deployed in much deeper water than jacket structures. They are more resistant to ice than any other kind of rig, and their high-tech design makes them a great asset in any field.

Another kind of fixed platform is the semisubmersible rig. It resembles a drilling barge and has three or four massive legs that can lower the platform out of the water. These legs help stabilize the platform against wind and waves and make it easier to move between locations. However, this design has limitations when working in deep waters. For this reason, it is better suited for operations where the drilling rig is anchored.

Drillships

Drillships are vessels designed to drill, assemble bottom hole assemblies, and complete various other tasks. They don't use anchors and must be propelled using flexible propulsion systems to compensate for surge, sway, and yaw. Large electric motors drive propellers on drillships. These rigs also have a number of other features. 

A drillship is a ship specifically designed for offshore drilling and production operations. It has a drilling platform in the centre of its deck, and it also has a hull-mounted derrick that allows a drilling string to extend through the ship and into the seabed. Drillships can be turned to face an oncoming wind or a current to improve stability, and they can operate in extremely deep waters that are too deep for anchors.

Semisubmersibles

A semisubmersible is a vessel designed for offshore support roles, such as transporting oil and gas wells, and its design makes it suitable for operation in rough waters. They are usually equipped with drilling packages, including everything from oil to petrochemicals. This vessel has a deep draught that allows it to be well submerged, and it is designed with ballasting to dampen the effects of swell and waves. The columns are far apart to provide high stability, which allows them to lift huge loads without causing damage to the deck.

One advantage of semisubmersibles over drilling vessels is their ultra-deepwater drilling capability. Maritime vessels specially modified to drill wells in oil fields offer a comprehensive offshore drilling solution for clients worldwide. Because of their extensive mooring systems, they can propel from one well to another without outside assistance.

Dry tree systems

While conventional semisubmersible platforms are highly versatile and offer optimum deck space and payload flexibility, they are not suitable for dry tree systems. In fact, some semisubmersibles operate in depths up to 6,000 feet and use subsea trees. These systems, however, use a rigid riser system that is locked to the subsea wellhead and a dry tree on the platform deck. The downside of this type of arrangement is that it is very sensitive to movement.

As the name suggests, dry tree systems are wellhead devices that give the operator complete control over production. These systems are widely used on fixed platforms in shallow waters but have not yet been utilized on deepwater semisubmersibles due to the extreme motions of such vessels. Nonetheless, multiple designs are being evaluated by major offshore oil companies and Det Norske Veritas to ensure their suitability for these platforms.

Subsea completion systems

The advantages of subsea completions are many, including the reduced costs and environmental impact. However, there are also barriers to their use, including regulatory and technological issues. For instance, many subsea completions require a workboat to reconfigure them. A workboat's cost alone could be $200,000 per day. Furthermore, the rig must be able to operate without interruption for up to five years. Check out here to know more about offshore drilling.

The subsea components of offshore drilling and production equipment are connected by a flowline that includes a series of umbilicals. The umbilicals, or pipelines, are usually 10 in (25.4 cm) in diameter. Their length is determined by the spacing of each subsea component and distance from the host facility. The flowline also contains the production riser, which is the portion of the flowline between the tree and the host facility. The riser can be vertical or can take on different waveforms, depending on the characteristics of the well.

Moving rigs

Offshore drilling and production equipment must be regularly moved from one location to another. Oil rigs perform many different functions, from drilling exploratory wells to installing multi-well production platforms. The primary purpose of an oil rig is to produce oil. There are many reasons for moving an oil rig, but its size and weight are the main factors. To make a move less costly and easier, consider a few things.

Oil rigs are usually set up near an existing drilling location. The location is chosen based on geological surveys and satellite images to find the most productive drilling areas. Offshore oil rigs do not need to remain in one location and can move to different areas. They are typically towed to sea and installed there. If they are moved to a different location, they are unloaded and towed to a new location.