Engineers from PSW Group solves ocean current issues with Odfjell Drilling for Total E&P

The French oil company Total has signed a contract with Odfjell Drilling regarding the drilling of an exploration well at Brulpadda block 11B / 12B south of South Africa. The area is located on the edge of the South African continental shelf, where the water depth is about 1500m and the ocean currents can be as strong as 7 knots.

The strong ocean currents in the area make it challenging to keep the riser centered in the moonpool area of the rig. PSW Group has together with Odfjell Drilling worked on how to solve this problem, and the solution was an Intermediate Flex Joint (IFJ) assembly with an extra Tension Ring. The component’s function is to be a flexible part of the riser while the four-point Tension Ring is coupled to an additional horizontal tensioning system on the rig. The tension system ensures that the riser is centered underneath the rig despite the strong ocean currents.

The system was delivered to Odfjell Drilling in Q3, and will be implemented December 2018.