Deepwater Horizon

Coordinates: 28°44′12″N 88°23′13″W / 28.736667°N 88.386944°W / 28.736667; -88.386944
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For Information on the oil spill, see Deepwater Horizon oil spill. For the oil rig explosion, see Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion.
Deepwater Horizon, on fire after the explosion
History
NameDeepwater Horizon
OwnerTransocean
OperatorTransocean
Port of registryMajuro, Marshall Islands
RouteGulf of Mexico
OrderedDecember 1998
BuilderHyundai Heavy Industries
CostUS$560 million [2][3]
Way number89
Laid downMarch 21, 2000
Completed2001
AcquiredFebruary 23, 2001
Maiden voyageUlsan, South Korea – Freeport, Texas
Out of serviceApril 21, 2010 (exploded) [1]
Identificationlist error: <br /> list (help)
ABS class no.: 0139290
Call sign: V7HC9
IMO number: 8764597
FateDestroyed [1]
Statuslist error: <br /> list (help)
Sunk
28°44′12″N 88°23′13″W / 28.736667°N 88.386944°W / 28.736667; -88.386944
General characteristics
Class and typeABS +A1 DPS-3 Column Stabilized MODU
Tonnage32,588 t (32,073 long tons; 35,922 short tons)
Displacement52,587 t (51,756 long tons; 57,967 short tons)
Length112 m (367 ft)
Beam78 m (256 ft)
Height97.4 m (320 ft)
Draught23 m (75 ft)
Depth41.5 m (136 ft)
Installed power42 MW
PropulsionDiesel electric
Speed4 kts
Crew146
Notes8202 tonne Variable Deck Load, DP Class 3, 8 thrusters, 10,000 ft drilling water depth

Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig. The rig was built in 2001 in South Korea, is owned by Transocean and was leased to BP plc until September 2013.[4] Deepwater Horizon was registered in Majuro, Marshall Islands. In September 2009, the rig drilled the deepest oil well in history at a vertical depth of 35,050 ft (10,680 m) and measured depth of 35,055 ft (10,685 m).[5]

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the rig left eleven crewmen dead. The resulting fire could not be extinguished, and on April 22, 2010, the rig sank, leaving the well gushing, causing the largest offshore oil spill in the United States history.[6]

Design

Deepwater Horizon was a fifth-generation, RBS-8D design, ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, column-stabilized, semi-submersible drilling rig[7] (Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit), designed to drill subsea wells for oil exploration and production purposes. Deepwater Horizon was the second semi-submersible rig constructed of a class of two, although the Deepwater Nautilus, her predecessor, is not dynamically positioned. The rig was 396 by 256 ft (121 by 78 m),[7], could operate in waters up to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) deep, to a maximum drill depth of 30,000 feet (9,100 m),[8] and in 2010 was one of approximately two hundred deepwater offshore rigs capable of drilling in waters more than 5,000 ft (1,500 m).[9]

In 2002, the rig was upgraded with "e-drill," a drill monitoring system whereby technicians based in Houston, Texas, received real-time drilling data from the rig and transmitted maintenance and troubleshooting information.[10]

History

Construction

Designed originally for R&B Falcon, Deepwater Horizon was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea. Construction started in December 1998 and the rig was delivered in February 2001 after the acquisition of R&B Falcon by Transocean, and was insured for $560 million.[11]

Ownership and lease

Transocean, the rig owner, operated the rig under the Marshalese flag of convenience.[12] Beginning in 2008, BP Exploration leased the Deepwater Horizon from Transocean Ltd.[12] In October 2009, the contract was extended until 2013.[4][12] The lease contract was worth $544 million, a rate of $496,800 per day.[13]

Drilling operations

The Deepwater Horizon worked on wells in the Atlantis and Thunder Horse Oil Fields, a 2006 discovery in the Kaskida field, and the 2009 Tiber oilfield.[14][15] On September 2, 2009, Deepwater Horizon drilled on the Tiber oilfield with a vertical depth of 35,050 ft (10,683 m) and measured depth of 35,055 ft (10,685 m), of which 4,132 ft (1,259 m) was water, which was at the time the deepest oil well in the world.[15][16][17][18] The well was more than 5,000 feet deeper than the design specification on the company's fleet list.[19]

In March 2008, at the Minerals Management Service's lease sale,[20] BP purchased the mineral rights to drill for oil on Mississippi Canyon Block 252, referred to as the Macondo Prospect, in the United States sector of the Gulf of Mexico, about 41 miles (66 km) off the southeast coast of Louisiana.

The Deepwater Horizon commenced drilling in the Macondo Prospect in February 2010 at a water depth of approximately 5,000 feet (1,500 m).[21] As of April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon was still working on the site.[22][23][14][24]

Explosion and oil spill

Explosion and fire

Main article: Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion

On April 20, 2010, the rig was in the final phases of drilling an exploratory oil well in which casing was being cemented in place as a reinforcement by Halliburton.[22] The planned well was to be drilled to 18,000 feet (5,500 m) below sea level, and was then to be plugged and suspended for subsequent completion as a subsea producer.[21] At 9:45 p.m. CDT,[25] a geyser of seawater erupted from the marine riser onto the rig, shooting 240 ft (73 m) into the air. This was soon followed by the eruption of a slushy combination of mud, methane gas, and water. The gas component of the slushy material quickly transitioned into a fully gaseous state and then ignited into a series of explosions and then a firestorm. Workers immediately attempted to activate the blowout preventer, but it failed.[26]

Eleven workers were presumed killed in the initial explosion. The rig was evacuated, with numerous injured workers airlifted to medical facilities.[1] Support ships sprayed the rig with water in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to cool it and prevent it from capsizing. This was an attempt to buy time while attempts were made to stop the oil and gas that were feeding the flames from coming up the riser pipe. If it had been successful, it would have reduced the flames and allowed special teams of firefighters to board the stricken rig and extinguish the remaining fire.[27]

After burning for approximately 36 hours, the Deepwater Horizon sank on April 22, 2010, in water approximately 5,000 ft (1,500 m) deep, and has been located resting on the seafloor approximately 1,300 ft (400 m) (about a quarter of a mile) northwest of the well.[22][28][29]

Massive oil spill

Main article: Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The oil was not stopped before the Deepwater Horizon sank. As of the beginning of June, 2010, the oil was still flowing. Some estimates of the spill make this the largest oil spill ever in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening fisheries, tourism, and the habitat of hundreds of bird species.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c McGill, Kevin (April 21, 2010). "Evacuated workers sought after oil rig explosion". The Houston Chronicle. The Associated Press. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  2. ^ "Transocean Ltd. Provides Deepwater Horizon Update" (Press release). Transocean Ltd. April 26, 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  3. ^ "Deepwater Horizon: A Timeline of Events". Offshore-Technology. 07 May 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b "Deepwater Horizon contract extended". Offshore Magazine. PennWell Corporation. November 1, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  5. ^ "Transocean's Ultra-Deepwater Semisubmersible Rig Deepwater Horizon Drills World's Deepest Oil and Gas Well" (Press release). Transocean. 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2010-06-07.
  6. ^ "Gulf oil spill now largest offshore spill in U.S. history as BP continues plug effort". USA Today. 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  7. ^ a b "Fleet Specifications: Deepwater Horizon". Transocean. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
  8. ^ "Transocean Deepwater Horizon specifications". Transocean. Retrieved 2010-04-22.
  9. ^ "Rig Data Centre". Rigzone. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  10. ^ "Monitoring system reduces rig downtime". Offshore Magazine. PennWell Corporation. November 1, 2002. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  11. ^ "Transocean Ltd. Provides Deepwater Horizon Update". Wallstreet Journal. 2010-04-26.
  12. ^ a b c Reddall, Braden (2010-04-22). "Transocean rig loss's financial impact mulled". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  13. ^ "The Well". Houston Chronicle. October 17, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  14. ^ a b "BP & Partners Make Discovery at Kaskida Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico" (Press release). Anadarko Petroleum. August 31, 2006. Retrieved April 24, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "Rigzone" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ a b "Deepwater Horizon Drills World's Deepest Oil & Gas Well" (Press release). TransOcean. September 2, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  16. ^ "BP drills oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico". Offshore Magazine. PennWell Corporation. September 2, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  17. ^ Braden Reddall (September 2, 2009). "Transocean says well at BP discovery deepest ever". Reuters. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  18. ^ "Transocean's Deepwater Horizon drills world's deepest oil and gas well". Red Mist Media. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  19. ^ http://www.deepwater.com/_filelib/FileCabinet/fleetupdate/2010/RIGFLT-APR-2010.xls?FileName=RIGFLT-APR-2010.xls
  20. ^ "Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area Lease Sale 206 Information". US Minerals Management Service. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  21. ^ a b "Macondo Prospect, Gulf of Mexico, USA". offshore-technology.com. 2005-10-20. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  22. ^ a b c Robertson, Cambell; Robbins, Liz (April 22, 2010). "Oil Rig Sinks in the Gulf of Mexico". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  23. ^ "BP confirms that Transocean Ltd issued the following statement today" (Press release). BP. April 21, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  24. ^ "Gibbs: Deepwater Horizon Aftermath Could Affect Next Lease Sale". Rigzone. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  25. ^ "12 missing after Gulf of Mexico oil rig blast: coast guard". Thenews.com.pk. 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  26. ^ Brenner, Noah; Guegel, Anthony; Watts, Rob; Pitt, Anthea (2010-04-29). "Horizon crew tried to activate BOP". Upstream Online. NHST Media Group. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  27. ^ "Gulf Oil Spill". NatgeoTV.com. National Geographic Channel. May 27, 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  28. ^ Resnick-Ault, Jessica; Klimasinska, Katarzyna (April 22, 2010). "Transocean Oil-Drilling Rig Sinks in Gulf of Mexico". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  29. ^ "Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Response and Restoration. April 24, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  30. ^ "Bird Habitats Threatened by Oil Spill". National Wildlife. National Wildlife Federation. April 30, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2010.

External links

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