Verifisering av HeaveLock som muliggjør trykkbalansert boring (MPD) fra flytende rigg under vanskelige forhold

Drilling of oil wells is extremely expensive, with drilling costs up to USD 100 million for a single well. The costs are increasing every year, while drilling efficiency is decreasing. There is also a shift towards more complex wells in deep water. Because of this the industry are looking for new cost-effective solutions that enables drilling of new wells with less downtime. Downtime (NPT) accounts for about 1/3 of the drilling time with weather related NPT around 5 -15 % - representing billions lost every year. To be able to drill complex wells from floating drilling rigs, oil companies use managed pressure drilling (MPD). This technology has a weakness, as drilling cannot be continuous if wave motions affects the rig. This because it creates great pressure problems (compression and suction) downhole, when the drill string begins to move up and down like a piston in the well. The result is downhole pressure fluctuations that may exceed the limits of what the well can withstand. This means that the drill operation must go to a standstill (NPT), and await better weather conditions. With rig rents of up to USD 1 million pr. day, a consequence of such challenges is costly drill operations. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has invented a novel technology for MPD in harsh offshore environments, the HeaveLock-technology. This technology enables offshore drilling of new and existing MPD wells from floating drill rigs in wave-exposed areas. No solutions are available on the market today, labeling these wells un-drillable. Immediate goals for the verification project - Verify technology and market needs - Knowledge of market mechanisms and barriers - Protection of Technology - Industrial partnerships The commercial goal is to establish a new oil and gas service company that in partnership could provide the HeaveLock technology to the market. Enabling hundreds of millions in potential cost savings for Oil and Gas companies.