Offshore staff

OSLO, Norway – Statoil has ordered a new type of intervention vessel from Aker Solutions. This “Category-B” rig will be designed to help increase recovery rates from existing fields.

In cooperation with the supplier industry, Statoil has developed a new type of rig and well control system specially adapted to carry out well intervention and drilling operations in existing subsea wells. The rig will be a newbuild Category B (Cat-B) well intervention semisubmersible, to be owned and operated by Aker Oilfield Services.

Cat-B is designed for year-round well intervention. It will provide tasks including through-tubing rotary drilling, wireline, coil tubing, high pressure pumping, well testing and cementing, and ROV operations, and will operate in water depths up to 500 m (1,640 ft).

This rig fills the gap between light intervention vessels (Category A) and conventional rigs (Category C) and is designed for year-round well service in Statoil-operated activities. The Category B design provides the option for a number of different types of well interventions using wireline and coiled tubing operations.

The contract will be managed out of Aker Oilfield Services' offices at Skøyen, Oslo. Aker Solutions’ subsea technology and manufacturing center at Tranby will supply the riser and well control package.

Aker Solutions will also provide the conveyance equipment and intervention services including coil tubing and wireline through its Stavanger-based well service business. And it will provide facilities to enable a third party contractor to supply cementing services, which Statoil will manage under a separate contract.

Statoil and the licensees will enter into an eight-year contract with options for three two-year extensions for the service. The estimated value of the contract is $1.9 billion. In addition to rig rental, the contract also includes rental of the necessary equipment and services to carry out well intervention, sidetrack drilling, ROV operations, well testing, and cementing.

Negotiations are under way with various yards for the EPC contract to build the Cat-B rig, which should start operations during the second half of 2015.

4/17/2012

Rendering of proposed new type Category B well intervention vessel. Photo courtesy Statoil.