Transocean jackup sets extended-reach drilling record

Offshore staff

HOUSTON -- Transocean's jackup GSF Rig 127 has set a world record for the longest extended-reach well ever drilled, measuring 40,320 ft (12,289 m) deep with a 35,770-ft (10,902-m) horizontal section.

The well was drilled offshore Qatar in 36 days and incident-free. The new record of 7.6 mi (12 km) is also the first well in the history of offshore drilling that exceeds 40,000 ft (12,191 m). The well surpasses by approximately 2,000 ft (610 m) the prior extended-reach record of 38,322 ft (11,680 m) MD set by another drilling contractor with a land rig drilling at Sakhalin Island earlier this year.

05/21/2008