Page 39: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (May/Jun 2019)

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Hybrid rigs, automated drilling

By William Stoichevski ully-automated drilling aboard a semisubmersible or jack-up drill rig powered by batteries has just become a reality. As May 2019 got underway, new, modern rigs

Fwere being ordered on more exploration, and no fewer than eight modern rigs — seven semisubs and a jack-up — were known to be mobilizing for drilling campaigns after upgrading along the way with digitalized automation and/or battery pow- er. At stake for operators are faster, cheaper completion times, green credentials and the ability to offer the recruitment pool a safer, “cloud-friendly” workplace.

At stake for rig owners in Norway, at least, is the right to drill here as well as rebates on 80% of green investments from Oslo’

NOx Fund, an incentive scheme for businesses to reduce nitro- gen oxide (NOx) emissions. That’s the reason Denmark-based

Maersk Drilling and Norway-based Northern Drilling are now upgrading their “sixth-generation” and “seventh-generation” drill rigs to the world’s ? rst battery powered offerings.

Egged on by clients like Equinor and Wintershall Dea,

Maersk is combining the hybrid power with ship-style energy emissions ef? ciency software to manage and monitor the power levels and the sharing between main engines and electric DP power. The new electrical aboard the ? ve-year-old, “ultra-harsh environment XLE jack-up” Maersk Intrepid will pave the way for “all-electronic” automation systems. For now, though, “data intelligence” will be applied to lower fuel consumption and emissions for Equinor at the Martin Linge ? eld. Maersk’s un- named system integrator will not perform the electrical upgrade at a yard but “on the water”, as the rig is already under contract.

In December 2018, Northern Drilling took delivery of the

West Mira semisub. When we contacted Northern CEO, Scott

McReaken, the rig was leaving a sheltered Nor- wegian shipyard after being equipped for more automation and new battery power and McReaken

The Maersk was getting dressed for OTC in Houston. A most-

Gallant jack-up modern semisub, West Mira is equipped to get wells drilled and completed in record time.

McReaken was feeling the pride of a new car owner: “About 30% fuel ef? ciency is expected plus a similar reduction in NOx. That means we qualify to join the NOx Fund, and if we deliver and show the reductions, we’ll get a partial reimbursement [on the investment in battery power].”

Yet, fuel ef? ciency is only a part of the savings for Winter- shall Dea at the Nova ? eld. “We’re leveraging the technology big-time. The beauty of the rig management system and the drill tech is that other drilling ef? ciencies come into play on

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