Newbuild Development Driller III begins GoM operations
Nov. 25, 2009
The newbuild semisubmersible rig Development Driller III has begun operations in the Gulf of Mexico for a subsidiary of BP, under a seven-year drilling contract.
Offshore staff
ZUG, Switzerland -- The newbuild semisubmersible rig Development Driller IIIhas begun operations in the Gulf of Mexico for a subsidiary of BP, under a seven-year drilling contract.
The rig features advanced offshore drilling technology, including a motion-compensated winch capable of deploying subsea assemblies to the seabed, a high-pressure mud-pump system, an advanced mud system design, a variable deckload of 7,000 metric tons (7,716 tons), and dual-activity drilling technology, allowing for parallel drilling operations.
It is equipped for drilling in water depths of up to 7,500 ft (2,286 m), upgradeable to 10,000 ft (3,048 m), and can drill wells of up to 35,000 ft (10,668 m), upgradeable to 37,500 ft (11,430 m).
