CPTu OFFSHORE

ENV-916-002
Revision No: 00

APPROVAL

Prepared By Reviewed By Approved By

Name: Aizat Aziz Najib Sani Matthew Hudson

Designation: Technical Manager Project Manager COO

Signature:

Date: 02nd November 2023 02nd November 2023 02nd November 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 2 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

Revision History

No Date Description of Changes

00 2-Nov-2023 New release

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 3 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

1.0 PURPOSE
This procedure outlines the standard offshore cone penetration testing (CPT)
carried out on offshore dedicated vessel for each soil investigation project.

2.0 SCOPE
This procedure defines actions and responsibilities of personnel involved in Offshore
Cone Penetration Testing.

3.0 REFERENCE
NIL

4.0 DEFINITION AND ABBREVIATION

AD Assistant Driller
CPT Cone Penetration Testing
CPT Tech CPT Technician
Drill Supv Drilling Supervisor
Geo Engr Geotechnical Engineer
RN Roughneck

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 4 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

5.0 PROCEDURE
5.1 Preparation the tools before running into drill
5.1.1 CPT Tech with assist of RN to pull the tool so far up that the connection for the water
snaptite hook is above the deck about one meter. Connect the hook and switch-on
the water-pump. The cylinder will now slide along the rods downward. When the
cylinder comes to close to the deck, the tool is slightly pulled up with the winch.

5.1.2 Pay attention on the push rod or cone while storing them in the mouse hole tube. As
soon as the cylinder is at the end of the stroke, the water pump can be switched off
and the water snaptite hook removed. Open the valve on the hook before removing
it. Hereafter the tool is lowered into the mouse hole tube. Keep the umbilical on
tension (not lower the tool fully to the bottom of the mouse hole).

5.1.3 Arming the latching system.

5.1.4 Pull the releasing device upward until the latching-pins are completely out. Push
retainer-ring in the groove.

5.1.5 The WISON-APB is now ready for testing. Before the first test, make sure the next
points are checked.

- Opening pressure of the pressure regulating valve;

- Smoothness of the movement of the WISON-APB;

- Length of the stroke on the DA system.

5.2 Preparation of drill string

5.2.1 As soon as the drilling supervisor gives the signal that the test depth has been
reached and that the drill string and annulus are clean and free of cuttings, the test
procedure is as follows:
- The drilling supervisor fixes the drilling string securely to the seabed by
clamping the drill string in the re-entry frame (seabed clamp);

- The mud-valve in the power-swivel is opened;

- The operator pulls, with the umbilical winch, the tool out of the mouse hole
tube and hangs it above the power-swivel;

- An operator in the “rooster-box” on top of the power swivel now guides the tool
into the drill string;

- Lower the tool at high speed, until this is almost at the bottom of the drilling
string;

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 5 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

- A signaling rope on the winch can indicate the depth of the previous
test.

5.3 Latch the tools down the hole

5.3.1 Check the cone value on Gonsite software and record “On Deck” value in the CPT log
before lower the umbilical and CPT tools.

5.3.2 CPT Tech to lower the speed and let the tool go down slowly until the umbilical is
hanging slack. Allow enough slack to compensate for heave. Pick the tool back up
and if it has latched properly the winch cannot pull up the tool. Switch to self-tension
when the umbilical is still under load. When the tool is not latching, lower the
WISON-APB again and repeat this procedure.

Note: Never try to force latching by high-speed landing.

5.3.3 If the tool continues to refuse to latch the tool has to be pulled out of the drill string.

5.3.4 To remove the tool from the drill string it is important that the tool is fully pushed
out inside the drilling string to disarm the latching system. The latching-pins
shouldn’t get stuck in the drill string, under the mud-valve e.g.:

- The drill collar have been incorrectly mounted;

- The latching-rings have been fit in the latching subs the wrong way
up;

- The latching-ring and jaws are too badly warned;

- The drilling tubes have not been sufficiently washed and cleaned at
the inside and are not free of cuttings.

Note: It is advisable to check latching in the BHA prior to start drilling. The main
cause for not latching is cuttings inside the drill string and warn latching parts.

5.4 CPTu Testing

5.4.1 When the WISON-APB is latched in the latching sub and the winch is switched to self-
tension, the test can start.
5.4.2 Start record the value of “Zero Value Before Test” in CPT log and make sure the
value is correct with sea water hydrostatic calculation.
5.4.3 Push the test-on button on the winch control. Watch the pressure increase and as
soon as the pressure regulating valve pressure setting is reached the tool starts
moving and the cone penetrates the soil beyond the bit. Closely follow the CPT on
the DA system. The test can be stopped by pressing the stop button in case any sign
indicates danger for the cone. To continue simply press the start button again.

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 6 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

5.4.4 After completion of 3m CPT stroke. The CPT tools will de-latch and CPT tech have to
hoist up 3m umbilical and CPT tools at the level of before test start. Record the value
of “Zero Offset After test” in CPT log. Start hoisting the umbilical and CPT tools.
5.4.5 De-latching condition
As soon as the test is stopped three situations are possible:
i. The WISON-APB has made a full stroke and is moving up on self-tension;

ii. The WISON-APB has made a full stroke and remains at the bottom in the
drilling string, caused by the friction on the surface of the push rod;

iii. The WISON-APB did not make the full stroke and is still latched.

5.4.6 Normal Condition

5.4.6.1 As soon as the tool rises on self-tension, the CPT Tech increases the speed.
When the tool is almost out of the drilling string, he should lower the speed.
The CPT Tech on top of the power swivel leads the tool carefully out of the
string. As soon as the tool is fully free, it will be placed back into the storage
tube. The mud valve can be closed and the drilling supervisor can continue
drilling operations to the next test depth. The WISON-APB can now be
pressed back, in preparation of the next test operation procedure. Arm the
latching again.

5.4.6.2 Visually check:

 The cone on damages;

 latching-pins on damages;

 possible bend piston rods;

 broken hydraulic hose;

 Broken electric cable and also the connectors still being correctly
mounted parts have loosened;

 break bolts.

Note: Keep slight tension on the umbilical cable when the WISON-APB is stored
in the mouse hole in between testing.

5.4.7 Forced condition

5.4.7.1 Let the winch stay on self-tension. Ask the driller to pull the
string a minimum of 3 meters up. The tool will come out on
self-tension and handle as in a normal situation. If the tool
does not rise on self-tension after the drill string has been

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 7 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

pulled up the tool can be stuck inside the drill string. This
might be caused by:

 The tool has not ended a full stroke and is still latched.

 The push-rod or sample tube is damaged in the soil and cannot

pass the bit anymore;

 The drill string has not been clean and soil cuttings have jammed
the tool inside the drill string.

5.4.7.2 What to do:

 Make sure a 200-bar pressure exist inside the umbilical

cable;

 Increase the pull on the winch by pulling the lever to full

speed up.

Note: If this does not help shear the break-bolts to get the umbilical out of the
drill string follow the procedure, which is described in the below subtopic.

5.4.8 Shearing the break-bolts

5.4.8.1 As last resort shears the break-bolts: pull the drill string much
higher, secure the winch (not on self-tension) by means of a
wire rope around the frame onto the drum. Lower the drill
string. Depending the situation down-hole the tool will get free
or the break bolts will shear. Remove the umbilical cable (with
the tool) from the drill string.

5.4.8.2 Investigate the cause of the jamming of the tool in the drill
string and take appropriate action to prevent this. If the break
bolts shear the tool can be fished out of the drill string using a
fishing tool. In last resort when all fails the drill pipe has to be
pulled completely and the tool retrieved from the BHA.

5.4.8.3 Using the fishing tool is only possible if the WISON-APB has
completed its stroke and has been de-latched. Change the
break bolts for new ones.

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 8 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

5.5 Data Analysis and Calculation

5.5.1 After completion of CPT, all the data will be through several stages using
several method and software before we get the final result as flowchart below
(Figure 1). The computer software which is included in this process was Gorilla!
Office 4 (GO4!), gINT and Microsoft Excel.
5.5.2 First of all, the raw data will be analyzing and interpreted into graph and
readable data in Microsoft Excel which is General data and Test data. For this
purpose, require to use a GO4! software.
5.5.3 Then, from General data and CPT Real-Time Log, we can generate a CPT
Baseline result which is Chart-u, Chart-qc, Overview and Checking.
5.5.4 The next steps for CPT data analysis were using CPTU spreadsheet. From Test
Data, we can get a Friction ration, Pore ratio, Qnet, Su1, Su2, OCR and
Relative density as the result. From this CPTU spreadsheet, we also can get a
cone resistance, local friction and pore pressure which is can use later to
produce a graph by using gINT software.

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 9 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

The flowchart below shows the steps for the implementation:

Responsibility Activity Interface

CPT Tech, RN Preparation the tool before running into NIL
drill string

Drill Supv, Driller, Preparation of the drill string Drilling Log, Pipe Log
AD, RN
CPT Tech Record “On Deck” value Latch the tool CPT Log
down the hole
CPT Tech Record “Zero offset Before Test” value CPT Log
CPTU Testing Record “Zero Offset After
Test” value
CPT Tech Hoisting CPT tools on deck Record “On CPT Log
Deck” value Secure CPT tools on deck
GeoEngr, CPT Tech Data Analysis and Calculation CPT Spreadsheet

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 10 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

Figure 1: CPT Data Analysis Flowchart

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.

 Page : Page 11 of 11
Date : 2nd Nov 2023
CPTu Offshore Revision : 00
Doc No : ENV-916-002

Vessel On Location

Sampling / CPT Hole

 Invoke Normal Drilling Procedures, Safety Precautions,

Safety Equipment etc.
 Sample / In-Situ Soil Testing
 Maintain Alert Against Shallow Gas Encounter

yes
Gas Detected

Shallow Gas Procedure

Flowchart
No

Complete Borehole

Figure 2: Sampling and CPT Flowchart

6.0 RECORD
ENV-920-401 Cone Penetration Test Log

Procedure: ENV-916-002, Rev 00 Effective Date: Nov 2023

Printed version is uncontrolled. User must verify for current version.