Page 31: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Jul/Aug 2013)

30 32

Primary and secondary options for

Drilling locating the XR connector in a drilling

BOP stack.

would have “passed the Macondo test.”

Unfortunately, in 2010 the XR con- nector had only been designed and manufactured for well intervention applications which only require an

ERC with a relatively small bore of 3 8 7 / -in.

However, STL plans to develop the

XR, making it compatible with 18¾-in. drilling risers. This scaled-up version of the XR would offer operators the same benefts as those offered by the smaller XR, ensuring drilling crew are given options when faced with a well control emergency.

The XR connector would be par- ticularly useful for drilling operations (strength) of the riser because it also increases productiv- system, the weakest point ity. Its ability to release at up to 100% (in bending) will never be maximum bending capacity means the XR connector. Even there is less need to shut down in after the riser has been poor weather conditions, increasing bent beyond the limit of the operating window and reducing its weakest point and has precautionary disconnects. become damaged, the XR The STL team has completed a pre- will still disconnect from liminary feasibility study for the 18¾- the well. in. XR connector and is now looking to

What this means for raise sponsorship or grant funding in those onboard a vessel order to undertake front end engineer- encountering positioning ing design work. This is an ideal time problems, is that the risk to invest in the development of well to life and of damage to the control safety, as the industry adjusts vessel is greatly reduced. to new challenges, such as drilling in

Even in the event of deep water. a complete riser failure, Once developed for drilling pur- the XR can be released to poses, the XR connector will provide provide a competent and an important buffer during operations, 38

Side view of complete 7 -in., 10kpsi XR connector.

/ undamaged structural and giving crew members the time and sealing interface compatible options required to make the best deci- with a capping stack. international oil and gas industry, sions during an incident.

In the event that it is unsafe or not which prides itself on its high stan- possible to disconnect from onboard dards of HSEQ. Drummond Lawson the vessel, the XR can be released Though the XR was originally began his career with using a remote acoustic trigger or ROV designed for use on intervention risers, Expro Group, (though this is dependent on which plans are now in place to develop it for Aberdeen, as a control system it has been confgured drilling purposes. subsea design with). Had this process already occurred engineer. He has

When designing the system, the team and the Macondo well been ftted gone on to work at STL was keenly aware that, in an with an XR connector, there may Schlumberger IPM, emergency situation, having time to have been more options for the crew working in Shell and Ramco Energy, plan a response and put that response onboard the Deepwater Horizon and and founded Lewis Limited before into action is crucial to limiting dam- the frst responders to make decisions co-founding STL in 2010. He has a age and preventing fatalities. on how to proceed. According to Ian BEng in Manufacturing Engineering &

The events of the Macondo incident Fitzsimmons, the XR connector, had it Management from the University of in April 2010 were sobering for the been confgured to ft a drilling riser, Dundee and is a chartered engineer. oedigital.com July 2013 | OE 33 032_OE_0713_DC2-XRConnector.indd 33 6/25/13 1:00 AM