UPDATE: Deepwater Nautilus Incident Photos The Deepwater Nautilus is a 5th generation semi-submersible drilling rig (RBS-8M design) that was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for Transocean.
The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is responding to a significant equipment failure on board a Transocean ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 100 miles south of Fourchon, Louisiana.
The offshore oil and gas operator, Shell Offshore Inc., reported that on June 9 the traveling block on board the Deepwater Nautilus fell during well operations.
Shell is monitoring the well and there are no reports of injuries to personnel or pollution, according to the BSEE. The project is limited to drilling and no production was affected by the incident.
BSEE engineers and inspectors have been discussing the on-going response with Shell and will travel offshore to the rig to investigate as soon as weather allows.
The traveling block is a large, freely moving series of pulleys or sheaves used to support the top drive which rotates drill pipe. On larger drilling rigs such as the Deepwater Nautilus, traveling blocks are often capable of handling loads well in excess of 1 million pounds.
Built in 2000 for Transocean, the Deepwater Nautilus can drill to a maximum depth of 30,000 feet and is rated for water depths of up to 8,000 feet. The rig is similar in design to the Deepwater Horizon, which in 2010 exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people and resulting in the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. On the Horizon, the traveling block alone weighed in at 80 tons.
BSEE says it is investigating the incident and will provide more information as it becomes available.
UPDATE:
Here’s what specifically happened:
While pulling out of the hole using 6 5/8″ drillpipe, the slips were set.
Soft broke the stand, spun out with the top drive and picked up out of the box
A ‘Maintenance torque up timeout for internal brake release’ alarm noted by the driller and brakes set.
ETs were called and noted ‘666’ fault on drive #1 & #4. Drives were rebooted to clear the fault.
The blocks started to descend and driller engaged ‘Emergency Stop’ cable to engage caliper brakes. Blocks came to rest on the BX elevators and bent 6 5/8″ DP.
Drill line parted on the last wrap on drums and became entangled on #6 and #7 sheave.
The Deepwater Millennium is being mobilized to replace the Nautilus while repairs are made. The gearbox and shaft within the top drive sustained damage as well as the drill shack.
You can join the gCaptain Forum thread about this incident HERE.
By Verity Ratcliffe (Bloomberg) –Sun-scorched expanses and steady Red Sea breezes make the northwest tip of Saudi Arabia prime real estate for what the kingdom hopes will become a global...
By Andrea Shalal (Reuters) – The United States is urging European allies and private companies to halt work that could help build the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline and...
By Jennifer Hiller HOUSTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp on Monday said it would write down the value of natural gas properties by $17 billion to $20 billion,...
December 1, 2020
Total Views: 1168
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
SIGN UP
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
Sign up for gCaptain Daily
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.