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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 explosion.
Deepwater Horizon prior to destruction. Parts of the structure providing buoyancy are invisible below the waterline in this image.
History
NameDeepwater Horizon
OwnerTransocean's Triton Asset Leasing GmbH[1]
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) [4]
Identificationlist error: <br /> list (help)
ABS class no.: 0139290
Call sign: V7HC9
IMO number: 8764597
MMSI no.: 538002213
FateDestroyed [4]
StatusSunk at 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)
Deck clearance34.010 m (111.58 ft)
Installed powerlist error: <br /> list (help)
7,000 kW 11,000 volts
6 x Wartsila 18V32 9775 hp diesel engines
6 x ABB AMG 0900xU10 AC generators
Propulsion8 x Kamewa 7,375 hp, 360° fixed propeller azimuth thrusters
Speed4 kts
Capacitylist error: <br /> list (help)
Liquid mud: 705 m3 (24,900 cu ft)
Drill water: 2,078 m3 (73,400 cu ft)
Potable water: 1,185 m3 (41,800 cu ft)
Fuel oil: 4,426 m3 (156,300 cu ft)
Bulk mud: 386 m3 (13,600 cu ft)
Bulk cement: 231 m3 (8,200 cu ft)
Crew146
Notes[5][6]

Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig. Built in 2001 in South Korea, it was owned by Transocean, registered in Majuro, Marshall Islands, and leased to BP plc until 2013.[7]

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).[8] On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the rig killed eleven crewmen. The resulting fire could not be extinguished and, on April 22, 2010, Deepwater Horizon sank, leaving its well gushing and causing the largest offshore oil spill in United States history.[9]

Design

Deepwater Nautilus, sister ship to the Horizon, in transit, showing the full design (including underwater section).

Deepwater Horizon was a fifth-generation, RBS-8D design, ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, column-stabilized, semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU), designed to drill subsea wells for oil exploration and production using an 18.75 in (47.6 cm), 15,000 psi blowout preventer (BOP), and a 21 in (53 cm) outside diameter (OD) marine riser.[5] Deepwater Horizon was the second semi-submersible rig constructed of a class of two, although Deepwater Nautilus, her predecessor, is not dynamically positioned. The rig was 396 by 256 ft (121 by 78 m) and capable of operating in waters up to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) deep, to a maximum drill depth of 30,000 feet (9,100 m),[5] 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).[10]

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.[11]

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.[12]

According to R&B Falcon's SEC filings for 2001, the transfer document between R&B Falcon to Transocean was dated 17 August 2001,[13] and the rig was specified as "official registration number of 29273-PEXT-1, IMO No. 8764597, with Gross Tonnage of 32,588 and with Net Tonnage of 9,778" [13] and the transfer value as US $340 million. As at 2010, the rig was insured for US $560 million, the sum covering its replacement cost and wreckage removal.[12]

Ownership and lease

Transocean, the rig owner, operated the rig under the Marshalese flag of convenience.[14] Beginning in 2008, BP Exploration leased Deepwater Horizon from Transocean Ltd.[14] In October 2009, the contract was extended until 2013.[7][14] The lease contract was worth $544 million, a rate of $496,800 per day.[15]

Drilling operations

Deepwater Horizon worked on wells in the Atlantis (BP 56%, BHP Billiton 44%) and Thunder Horse (BP 75%, ExxonMobil 25%[16]) oil fields. In 2006 it discovered oil in the Kaskida field, and in 2009 the "giant" Tiber field.[17][18] The well in the Tiber field has a vertical depth of 35,050 ft (10,683 m) and a measured depth of 35,055 ft (10,685 m), of which 4,132 ft (1,259 m) was water. The well was the deepest oil well in the world,[18][19][20][21] and more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) deeper than the design specification on the company's fleet list.[22]

In February 2010, Deepwater Horizon commenced drilling an exploratory well at the Macondo Prospect (Mississippi Canyon Block 252), about 41 miles (66 km) off the southeast coast of Louisiana, at a water depth of approximately 5,000 feet (1,500 m).[23] The Macondo prospect exploration rights were acquired by BP in 2009,[24] with the prospect jointly owned by BP (65%), Anadarko (25%) and MOEX Offshore 2007 (10%).[25] Deepwater Horizon was still working on the Macondo site on 20 April 2010, when a violent explosion occurred leading to destruction of the rig and resulting oil spill.[26][27][17][28] The well was in the final stages of drilling at the time; the cement casing for the well was injected and hardening, and the rig was due to move shortly to its next role as a semi-permanent production platform.[29]

Explosion and oil spill

Main articles: Deepwater Horizon explosion and Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon on fire after the explosion.

At 09:45 p.m. CDT April 20, 2010, during the final phases of drilling the exploratory well at Macondo,[30] 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.[31]

At the time of the explosion, there were 126 crew on board; seven were employees of BP, 79 of Transocean, there were also employees of various other companies involved in the operation of the rig, including Anadarko, Halliburton and M-I Swaco.[32] Eleven workers were presumed killed in the initial explosion. The rig was evacuated, with numerous injured workers airlifted to medical facilities.[4] 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.[33]

After burning for approximately 36 hours, 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.[26][34][35]

The oil from the ruptured well continues to flow as of June 2010. A number of attempts to staunch the flow were either unsuccessful or have met with only limited success, and relief wells to allow termination of the flow are unlikely to be completed for some time. BP has said that measures to fully curtail the flow are unlikely to succeed until at least August 2010, the estimated completion date for the relief wells.[36] The spill threatens fisheries, tourism, and the habitat of hundreds of bird species. The oil spill also can cause massive damage to the fragile ecosystem of the gulf coast and waters. Some estimates of the spill make this the largest oil spill ever in the Gulf of Mexico and US history.[37]

Aftermath

Transocean received an early partial settlement for total loss of the Deepwater Horizon of US $401 million around May 5 2010.[38] Financial analysts note that the insurance recovery is likely to outweigh the value of the rig (although not necessarily its replacement value) and any liabilities - the latter estimated at up to US $200 million.[39]

Litigation, ultimate roll call of damage, and the scope of final insurance recovery, are all unknown at present.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Subsidiaries of Transocean Ltd". Edgar Online. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. December 2009. Retrieved 11 June 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. Net Resources International. 07 May 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b c "Fleet Specifications: Deepwater Horizon". Transocean. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  6. ^ "ABS Record: Deepwater Horizon". American Bureau of Shipping. 21 Mar 2000. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Deepwater Horizon contract extended". Offshore Magazine. PennWell Corporation. November 1, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ Staff and wire (Thursday, 27 May 2010). "Gulf oil spill now largest offshore spill in U.S. history as BP continues plug effort". USA Today. Retrieved 9 June 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "Rig Data Centre". Rigzone. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  11. ^ "Monitoring system reduces rig downtime". Offshore Magazine. PennWell Corporation. November 1, 2002. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  12. ^ a b "Transocean Ltd. Provides Deepwater Horizon Update". The Wallstreet Journal. 2010-04-26.
  13. ^ a b "Securities and Exchange Commission filing for R&B Falcon Corp., August 17, 2001". Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  14. ^ a b c Reddall, Braden (2010-04-22). "Transocean rig loss's financial impact mulled". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  15. ^ "The Well". The Houston Chronicle. October 17, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  16. ^ "BP's Thunder Horse starts oil and gas production". Reuters. June 17, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
  17. ^ 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).
  18. ^ a b "Deepwater Horizon Drills World's Deepest Oil & Gas Well" (Press release). TransOcean. September 2, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  19. ^ "BP drills oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico". Offshore Magazine. PennWell Corporation. September 2, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  20. ^ Braden Reddall (September 2, 2009). "Transocean says well at BP discovery deepest ever". Reuters. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  21. ^ "Transocean's Deepwater Horizon drills world's deepest oil and gas well". Red Mist Media. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  22. ^ "Fleet Status Report". Transocean. April 13, 2010. Retrieved 09 June 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  23. ^ "Macondo Prospect, Gulf of Mexico, USA". offshore-technology.com. 2005-10-20. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  24. ^ "Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area Lease Sale 206 Information". US Minerals Management Service. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  25. ^ "Offshore Field Development Projects: Macondo". Subsea.Org. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  26. ^ a b Robertson, Cambell; Robbins, Liz (April 22, 2010). "Oil Rig Sinks in the Gulf of Mexico". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  27. ^ "BP confirms that Transocean Ltd issued the following statement today" (Press release). BP. April 21, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  28. ^ "Gibbs: Deepwater Horizon Aftermath Could Affect Next Lease Sale". Rigzone. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  29. ^ Washburn, Mark (2010-05-14). "A huff and boom ended Deepwater Horizon's good luck". The McClatchy Company. Retrieved 2010-06-18. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
  30. ^ "12 missing after Gulf of Mexico oil rig blast: coast guard". The News. Thursday, April 22, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ Daily Mail special investigation article: Why is BP taking ALL the blame? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1287226/GULF-OIL-SPILL-Whys-BP-taking-blame.html
  33. ^ "Gulf Oil Spill". NatgeoTV.com. National Geographic Channel. May 27, 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  34. ^ Resnick-Ault, Jessica; Klimasinska, Katarzyna (April 22, 2010). "Transocean Oil-Drilling Rig Sinks in Gulf of Mexico". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  35. ^ "Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Response and Restoration. April 24, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
  36. ^ "BP Investor Briefing" (PDF). June 4, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  37. ^ "Bird Habitats Threatened by Oil Spill". National Wildlife. National Wildlife Federation. April 30, 2010. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  38. ^ Green, Meg (2010-05-07). "Transocean: Insurers Have Already Paid $401 Million for Deepwater Horizon Loss". Insurance news net. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  39. ^ Fortson, Danny (2010-05-09). "Rig firm's $270m profit from deadly spill". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2010-06-17. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

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