Swift drilling platform ready for assembly
Offshore staff
SCHWANAU, Germany -- Swift Drilling has issued technical acceptance of a new self-supporting, cantilever deep drilling rig for operation in the southern North Sea.
Herrenknecht Vertical assembled the Terra Invader 250CL rig at its yard in the port of Kehl, southern Germany. It will form part of the Swift #10 jackup barge scheduled to work for Shell and NAM for the next five years in the shallow water UK and Netherlands sectors.
After the cantilever structure has been dismantled in Kehl, it will be transported up the river Rhine to Rotterdam for assembly onto the jackup barge. From 2011 onwards it will perform workovers on existing wells on oil and gas fields, and drill new wells in new areas or from existing platforms.
Herreenknecht says features of its deep drilling rigs include the hydraulic cylinder hoist system designed to facilitate accurate and safe vertical drilling operations. Supply and return of drill pipes and casings from and to the drilling unit storage area is largely automated, limiting the need for personnel in hazardous areas.
The Terra Invader 250CL rig is also relatively lightweight, with a hook load of 250 metric tons (275 tons). It is designed to operate in subsurface depths of 5,000 m (16,404 ft) for slim hole wells.
10/07/2010