SPE-173876-MS

Novel Drillship and Multi-Purpose Tower Design for Ultra Deepwater Well
Cost Reduction
Dieter Wijning, Ed Adams, and Jan Atle Andresen, Huisman

Copyright 2015, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Bergen One Day Seminar held in Bergen, Norway, 22 April 2015.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
To meet the ever-increasing needs for improved efficiency, cost control and safety enhancement in
(ultra-)deepwater well construction, a novel drillship design has been developed that has been outfitted
with a unique, versatile and highly automated drilling package. In particular, a new Dual Multi-Purpose
Tower (DMPT) design was developed. It is similar to an earlier design employed on four drill ships
currently in service with a major international oil company (IOC) in that it has no V-door limitation and
features two well centers, enabling concurrent operations. Lessons learned from the four drill ships have
been incorporated in the new vessel design. Careful study of deepwater drilling-the-well-on-paper
(DWOP) information shows that the new DMPT drilling system and vessel design have the capability to
reduce drill times by 20-25% through reduction of flat times, increased tripping speeds by use of true
automation, running 180ft stands of drill pipe, running 22⬙ 180ft casing in open water, running of 150ft
risers, dual rotary hang-off tables and doing as much as possible off critical paths.
The vessel design itself was optimized with both drilling and completion operations in mind, and is
prepared for future technologies, eliminating costly and time consuming upgrades. Design efforts aimed
at reduced maintenance of equipment and reduced downtime led to additional cost savings and the vessel
uses significantly less fuel, thereby reducing consumables and environmental impacts. The vessel can hold
30000mt variable deck load (VDL), can operate in waters up to 4,000 m, can store and run two 20k BOPs
and is inherently prepared for managed pressure drilling (MPD) and dual gradient drilling (DGD)
operations. A large, unobstructed flat workdeck from fore to aft of the vessel provides over 4,500 m2 of
safe, open deck space for drilling and completion activities.
The new drilling system, combined with the additional savings in fuel, maintenance downtime, and
increased safety afforded by the optimized vessel design may yield total well delivery savings in excess
of 30%. In this paper, pertinent details are shared about the vessel and drilling system designs, as well as
how these designs facilitate the indicated time and cost savings.
Introduction
Until the worldwide economic crisis in 2008, upstream return on capital employed (ROCE) for oil and gas
operators rose from 10% to 20% as the price of oil rose from $20/bbl (1990’s) to just under $100/bbl
(2008) (See Figure 1). In 2009, however, the oil price continued to rise to well over $100/bbl while ROCE
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fell back to 10%, levels not seen since $20/bbl oil, primarily due to strong increases in the price of well
construction goods and services. Such increasing well delivery costs are now forcing operators to
re-examine how they can materially reduce costs in order to return to acceptable ROCE levels. This issue
is particularly urgent at the time this paper was compiled, given that since its peak at above $110 per bbl
in June 2014 the crude oil price has steadily dropped to below $50 per bbl by early January 2015 (see
Figure 2). Even though offshore well construction activity and investment is generally more insulated
from such oil price cycles given the long-term commitments that need to be made to explore for – and
develop – deepwater hydrocarbon resources than for onshore, it makes absolute sense for deepwater
operators to explore all means at their disposal to reduce costs, improved efficiencies and, through the use
of state-of-the-art technology, improve workplace safety at the same time.

Figure 1—Upstream returns and oil price over the years. Source: Energy Markets and Investment Decision, Susan Farrell, Upstream
June 2014

Figure 2—Development of Brent oil price in late 2014 – early 2015, showing a precipitous drop. Source: Nasdaq

Deepwater well delivery costs are primarily impacted by drillship day rates, additional spread costs
(e.g. supply boats, helicopters etc.), service company charges and consumables (casing, mud, cement,
fuel). Although the rates and costs associated with these can be challenged by operators and subjected to
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downward pressure when oil and gas prices slump, this offers only a single and limited dimension for cost
reduction. More significant reductions in well delivery costs can be achieved by optimizing drill times,
reducing rig inefficiency and minimizing non-productive time associated with rig downtime. As we shall
argue, such improvements can be achieved with a novel deepwater vessel design that integrates a highly
innovative new drilling package. To investigate ways of reducing well delivery costs, detailed discussions
were held with both operators and contractors. Moreover, a thorough review of the operation and
performance of four existing drill ships currently in deepwater service with a major operator was held.
These ships all employ Dual Multi-Purpose Towers (DMPT). This review in turn led to development of
further drilling system innovations and vessel improvements aimed at increased efficiencies and reduction
or elimination of flat-times.
New Integrated Vessel and Dual Multi-Purpose Tower Designs
A single Multi-Purpose Tower (MPT) has been in operation since 2001 when it was installed on a
prominent deepwater well intervention vessel. Dual Multi-Purpose Towers (DMPT) have been in
operation since 2012 when they were installed on the first of two generations of deepwater drill ships (see
Figure 3). Following this deployment, lessons were learned and incorporated in the vessel design itself to
build the second generation drill ship, with two of these newer vessels delivered and deployed in 2012 and
2013 (see Figure 3).

Figure 3—First generation (left) and second generation (right) drill ships featuring evolving DMPT designs

One of the first generation drill ships received the deepwater IOC’s 2013 Global Floating Rig of the
Year award for its outstanding performance. Further proving the innovative technology of the DMPT, the
second of the first generation rigs was awarded the IOC’s Global Floating Rig of the Year award in 2014.
Valuable experience was further gained from the operation of the second generation drill ships. These
have proven to be efficient and safe vessels, and the DMPT technology has proven to be a platform for
innovation aimed at reducing well delivery costs.
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The new, third generation drillship design presented here is the result of a continuous development
process from the early concept of the MPT to the integrated vessel design on the second generation drill
ships. Lessons learned from all earlier ships and significant input from oil companies and drilling
contractors has led to multiple vessel innovations built around an enhanced DMPT drilling system.
The new vessel has dimensions of 208m x 35.4m (682ft x 116ft) and accommodates a payload of
30,000mt. A work deck above the existing main deck and flush with the drill floor provides a very large,
open deck space of 4500m2 available for entire completion spreads and multiple drilling needs. The flush
drill floor and work deck reduces the vertical movement of people and goods, reduces blind spots,
improves visibility and provides a safe and easy access in/out from the well center and construction side
of the DMPT. Almost all machinery is mounted in the protected environment below the work deck and
inside the tower which reduces the maintenance cost and related potential downtime e.g. associated with
inclement weather.
Integral to achieving efficiency improvement and cost reductions, the DMPT has no V-door limitation
for pipe handling and contains the proven technology of dual drawworks which eliminate slip-n-cut
procedures. For the award received by the first generation rig in 2013, the operator highlighted a savings
of 5 ½ days and $6.5 million attributable solely to this “no slip-n-cut” feature.
In addition, the DMPT has passive and active heave compensation systems and a unique “splittable”
block which allows one to change the number of reeved lines on the fly, a feature that can facilitate
increased tripping speeds, open wider weather windows and reduce downtime due to safety incidents
associated with changing reeving.
A unique feature of the DMPT is the ability of the ship’s aft crane to remove the top of the tower for
crossing under bridges such as the Bosporus, as was very recently accomplished by one of the second
generation rigs (see Figure 4). This feature saves weeks and millions of dollars when attempting to
mobilize a drill ship into the Black Sea, under the Suez bridge or through the Panama Canal.

Figure 4 —{Left) Lifting of the tower head section of the DMPT with the vessel’s aft crane; {Right} Passing the bridges of the Bosporus,
gateway to the Black Sea
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The updated DMPT introduced a new way of organizing the floor activities by physically separating
the drilling activities and the construction activities (see Figure 5). The physically separated drill floor and
construction floor provides two working environments that do not cause handling conflicts or the
requirement to stop and wait in case of parallel activity such as automated drilling or tripping operations.
Further, the DMPT inherently reduces the numbers of potential dropped objects and the resulting
downtime due to associated safety incidents. It therefore presents an entirely new dimension in improved
work floor safety.

Figure 5—Top view of the DMPT: From left to right: Construction floor, DMPT, Drill floor

The newly enhanced DMPT was redesigned to handle 3.0 million lbs hookload and was extended in
height to enable running 180ft stands of drill pipe or casing and running 180ft stands of 22⬙ casing in open
water.
In addition, the DMPT now includes integral robotic pipe handlers, enabling automation of tripping and
pipe handling functions, which in turn results in increased tripping and casing running speeds. The tower’s
efficiencies have been further augmented by use of unique dual rotary hang-off tables, and performing as
many activities as possible off the critical path.
DMPT – Pipe handling 180ft stands
The new DMPT can run 180ft stands of drill pipe, thereby greatly reducing tripping times, the number of
connections during drilling or reaming, and the number of starts and stops of the mud pumps. On an
open-hole section of 6,500ft (2000m) the connection times are typically 10-15 minutes. By running 180ft
stands compared to 135ft stands, the number of connections are reduced by 12, saving up to 3.0 hours per
trip. Additionally, the risk of stuck pipe will be reduced due to better hole-cleaning while the risks
associated with fracture breathing (also called “ballooning”) during starting and stopping of mud pumps
will also be reduced.
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The DMPT does not have a typical substructure and is mounted on the workdeck of the new vessel such
that even with 180ft stand lengths, the overall height of the tower is less than a typical deepwater drillship
derrick and its sub-structure arrangement running 135ft stands, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6A—Dual derrick, 135ft, total height 92m, well center distance: 12.2m
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Figure 6B—DMPT, 180ft stands, total height 81m, well center distance: 17.6m

DMPT - Integral Robotic Pipe Handlers and Automation

The drill floor is without a doubt one of the most dangerous places to work: large pieces of (mechanized)
machinery, heavy loads, overhead equipment and high power are involved in tight workspaces with
humans involved. As shown in Figure 7, the drill floor has changed very little for decades. With the
increasing focus on safety, increased efficiencies and reduction of flat times, the time for change is now.

Figure 7A—Drill floor decades ago

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Figure 7B—Drill floor in 2013

Drill floor activities are repetitive. A drill crew must perform the same actions over and over again, for
example, making up a drill pipe connection hundreds of times during the execution of a typical well. There
is always a non-zero risk that an incident may happen, even when a crew has worked very safely and has
made up many thousands of connections without any incidents – risks are managed as low as practically
possible (ALARP), but are never zero. Crew fatigue, in particular, plays an important role in precipitating
incidents. By contrast, mechanized robots do not get tired and can do the same actions precisely, safely
and repetitively. Moreover, they allow for humans to remain away from high-risk, high-exposure areas
and thus keep them out of harm’s way.
Mechanization and automation brings with it efficiency advantages as well. The work performed by the
robot has a predictable high quality (when set up properly) and speed, as opposed to work performed by
a human crew. An example is given in Figure 8, showing clear variation in slip to slip connection time
among drill crews and at various times within a crew shift; such variation and associated inefficiency and
time “waste” can be eliminated by adoption of reliable and consistent automation. This also has a
predictable impact on performance, time and associated cost savings. As an example, the total time
savings for round tripping all hole sections for a 30,000ft well in 4,000ft water depths can by as much as
11 days when the combined use of 180ft stands and fully automated pipe handling is considered, as shown
in Figure 9.

Figure 8 —Variation in slip to slip connection time among human crews and within a crew shift
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Figure 9 —Total time for tripping with a traditional 6th generation vessel and the new vessel/DMPT combo

A New Approach to Automation

During the design and build of the automated tripping system for the second generation drill ships, it was
noted that making real step changes in performance required a new, functional approach to innovation.
First of all, it was clear that automation needed to be at the core of the ultimate solution for the reasons
mentioned earlier (consistency, improved efficiency, enhanced safety etc.). But the real change came
when asking the question: “how do we design and organize the drilling process in such a way that it is
ideally suited for automation” rather than the conventional question: “how can we automate the existing
drilling process”. Rather than simply mechanizing and robotizing human actions in the drilling process,
a more deeper functional evaluation was made on which drilling tasks needed to be accomplished and how
these were best automated. This required that certain elements of the drilling process needed to be changed
as well as new equipment needed to be introduced to enable true automation.
With feedback and lessons learned from the first and second generation drill ships, the next generation
automated pipe handling system was designed. Motions were kept simple and the control system was
taken as the core of the design. The new pipe handling system incorporates small robust multi-functional
manipulators which are mounted on rails built into the corners of the DMPT (see Figure 10). The
manipulators can be exchanged easily and can be maintained offline. Their setup is relatively easy to
automate. The movements are simple: rotate and extend (i.e. no translating rackers). The slots in the
setback can hold various pipe diameters. Moreover, the setup has several built-in redundancy features. The
entire handling system is designed for a slip-to-slip connection time of only 90 seconds, resulting in a
tripping speed of approximately 5300 ft/hr with 180 ft stands.
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Figure 10 —Multi functional manipulators (shown in yellow and red) on the DMPT The ‘App store’ is the rack for storing the different
tools

The multi-functional manipulators are outfitted with quick connect heads. Tools can be exchanged
quickly and without human interference. In this manner, the driller can always choose the right tool for
the job and the tools which are not in use can be maintained offline.
Running of 150 ft Risers
The DMPT enables the running of 150ft riser joints due to its inherent design with no V-door limitation.
Additionally, the new vessel has been designed to store and semi-automatically run a maximum length of
150ft (45m) riser joints aimed at significantly reducing riser running times. In total 4000m (13,200ft) of
risers can be stored in the hull, allowing the vessel to operate in extreme deep waters.
For maintenance, the risers will be kept on board the vessel. Two large workshops are provided in the
riser storage hull area for maintaining and inspecting risers. Design is in accordance with applicable DNV
and API codes and the main design parameters are as follows:
● Maximum water depth 4000m
● Mud weight of 16 ppg
● 15,000 psi choke & kill lines
● Maximum weight of BOP stack of 450mt
A unique 150ft marine drilling riser joint design that is capable of overcoming the challenge of deck
handling and being connected in a total string length of 13,200ft has been developed (see Figure 11).
Taking into account that the buoyancy module dry-weight increases with increasing water depths at an
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average of 10% per 2,000ft, a combination of 70% 150ft and 30% 75ft riser joints was determined to be
most optimal to meet all assessment criteria during handling and using the riser string. As a result, 150ft
risers will be run to depths of 8,000ft, followed by 75ft risers run from 8000 ft to 12000ft and eventually
a bare riser (no buoyancy) for 12000ft to 13200ft water depths. As an option an additional semi-permanent
flange connection can be delivered, enabling the 150ft joint to be broken into two 75ft joints for offboard
transportation.

Figure 11A—Stress in riser during upending

Figure 11B—Flange connection of riser

A time savings of nearly 50% is expected by semi-automatically running a primary string of 150ft risers
in lieu of 75ft risers for the initial subsea blowout preventer (SSBOP) installation and retrieval operations.
Although efforts are underway to improve the reliability of SSBOPs, the ability to run 150ft risers can also
greatly reduce the time for pulling and running a secondary SSBOP, if necessary, leading to additional
savings in total well delivery costs.
Innovative “Rotary Table”
The drilling system also incorporates a new type of rotary table (see Figure 12). The table has a U-shape
and can skid away from the drill string while the string is suspended in the well center by the topdrive.
A power slip is mounted in the table which can handle pipes from 3 ½” up to 9 ¾” without changing
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inserts and can open up to 21⬙. When skidding away, a very large opening is created and thus large
centralizers etc. can be lowered through without the need to remove bushings and adaptor rings. A second
table can be setup, off the critical path, for casing handling and running operations, allowing very fast
change-overs from drill pipe to casing or casing to drill pipe. According to simulation and feedback from
operators, savings of at least 5% per well could be realized simply by not having to change slips in the
critical path.

Figure 12A—Power slips skidded away from well center

Figure 12B—One power slip in well center, other skidded away

Well Delivery Time and Cost Reduction

The development of efficiency-enabling ultra-deepwater vessel technologies and improved drilling system
efficiencies is rooted in a firm belief that true “clean-slate” innovation holds the key to a step-change
solution. A dialogue over many years with both deepwater operators and drilling contractors allowed for
a thorough review of the existing drilling systems and their historical limitations. This, in turn, led to
development of an evolution of the drillship and drilling system aimed at a step change in well delivery
costs. Application of this vessel and its sophisticated systems in Drilling-the-Well-on-Paper (DWOP)
exercises, coupled with extensive field experience from working a previous generation of these systems
in the field, shows that well delivery times can be significantly reduced.
As an example, a DWOP exercise running 180ft stands of drill pipe and casing, automation of the
tripping functions, running 150ft risers, use of the dual hang-off tables, no slip-n-cut requirements and
other unique innovations incorporated into the vessel and DMPT drilling systems demonstrated a
reduction in well delivery time of 45 days on a 228 day DWOP well. Overall, the DWOP exercise
demonstrated a 20% reduction in well delivery time applying the new vessel technology and enhanced
DMPT drilling system (see Figures 13 and 14).
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Figure 13—Time vs depth graph of the 228 day DWOP well Red Curve: Conventional 6th generation drillship / Blue Curve: New
vessel/DMPT combo

Figure 14 —Savings in days per category based on the 228 day DWOP well

The potential monetary savings are very significant, as illustrated by the table below for the specific
DWOP well example:
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Risk Factor Mitigation

There are several important deepwater well construction risk factors that are mitigated using the novel
designs. Although the benefits associated with this risk mitigation are difficult to quantify in a DWOP
exercise and expressed as a “hard” cost savings, they should, nonetheless, be integrally considered in an
overall evaluation process. Some examples include:
Increased Safety and reduced associated downtime, through:
● Reduced dropped objects through the use of the DMPT
● Physical separation of work floors
● No V-door limitation, crane access to drill floor
● No elevations on main workdeck (stairs)
● Personnel elevator inside DMPT
Reduced Maintenance downtime, through:
● Equipment protection inside the DMPT
● Equipment stored below the workdeck on vessel
● Significant equipment redundancy features
ⴰ Two travelling blocks
ⴰ Both side full load capacity
ⴰ Dual drawworks
ⴰ Dual passive heave compensators
ⴰ Twelve multi functional manipulators (with offline maintenance)
ⴰ Dual power slips per well center
ⴰ Dual moonpool skid carts

Increased efficiency and less human interaction, through:

● No need to cut-n-slip drill line
● Use of splittable block
● Running 180ft DP stands and making less connections
● Better hole cleaning and reduced ballooning effects due to less ramping of mud pumps up/down
● Faster recovery for unexpected bit/downhole equipment changes
● Running 150ft riser elements, less connections and leak path issues
● Faster recovery for unexpected SSBOP roundtrips
It can be reasonably concluded that, in aggregate, these factors could account for additional savings of
up to 10% during the course of drilling an ultra-deep water well.
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Environmental Savings
As noted above, the new drillship can drill wells faster and uses less fuel per day. This is not only saving
costs but it is also an environmental saving. When drilling a well in 30% less time and by using 30% less
fuel per day, this will lead to a fuel consumption reduction and emissions-to-air reduction on the order of
50%. In addition, by having nearly all equipment in a protected inside environment, the risk for spills is
reduced. This is expected to reduce the environmental footprint of the rig significantly.
Technology Qualification Using Full-ScaleTest Tower
Prior to introduction of the new pipe handling and automation technology to the market, extensive testing
and qualification on full-scale equipment will be conducted (see Figure 15). The qualification will be
under simulated operational conditions with a full-scale MPT test tower that is specifically built to test,
qualify and prove the capabilities of the new DMPT design prior to its construction and deployment. The
main features of this dedicated test facility include:

Figure 15—MPT test tower that will be used for full-scale DMPT acceptance testing

● 3 mln lbs static rated internal load (1360 ton)

● Handling of 180ft stands of drillpipe / casing
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● Handling of 150ft risers

● Dual draw works / Splittable blocks
● Full scale setback drum
● Up to 4 (3⫹1) multipurpose manipulators
● ‘App store’ for storing tools
● Heave compensator system(s)
● Dual hang-off tables
● Sideways adjustable to 5 degrees for static load testing
● Dynamic roll simulation ⫹ or - 2 degrees
● Full operation including roll, flow, pressure, handling of pipe & risers

Conclusions
Based on the experience gained from earlier drillship and DMPT operations, the novel DMPT technology
presented here represents a step-change improvement for (cost-) efficiency and safety in (ultra-)deepwater
operations. By using operational feedback and seeking input from operators and contractors, new
innovative solutions have been developed that will improve well construction efficiency even further and
significantly reduce well delivery costs. The need by operators to improve return on capital employed
(ROCE), coupled with the uncertainty of world oil prices, is demanding more efficient and cost effective
solutions.
DWOP exercises have demonstrated that the new vessel design and enhanced DMPT drilling system
can deliver a 20% or more reduction in drilling time and, therefore, costs. It is quite reasonable to expect
that, in addition to this 20% reduction in costs, mitigation of risk factors can account for savings of an
additional 10%, making a case for reducing overall well delivery costs by as much as 30%. Additional
benefits of the new vessel and its drilling systems are improved safety through automation and taking rig
crew out of harm’s way, and, environmental benefits associated with reduced fuel consumption, reduced
emissions to air, etc. which reduce the vessel’s carbon footprint.

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Shell Oil Company and Noble Drilling for an excellent collaborative relationship
over the past decade that has brought true innovation to the industry.