Decommissioning of High Torque Threaded Drilling Riser at World Record Break Out Torques of 257,000 ft-lbs
Authors
B. T Chang (Weatherford International Ltd.) | A. Galbreath (Weatherford Malaysia Sdn Bhd.) | R. Boyd (Murphy Sarawak Oil Co Ltd.)
Publisher
OTC - Offshore Technology Conference
Publication Date
March 22, 2016
Source
Offshore Technology Conference Asia, 22-25 March, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Paper ID
OTC-26710-MS
Abstract
Current deepwater activities within Asia demand the introduction of new technology to meet customer's challenges. Operators with deepwater threaded riser applications face high torque connections of exotic grade, non-API size tubulars and heavy string weights, amongst other challenges. With the associated high cost, connection integrity with emphasis on safety, operational efficiency gains, accuracy and reliability while ensuring cost savings is essential.
Threaded, ultra-high torque specialty drilling riser further pushes the limits of tubular running technology with both torque and non-marking handling requirements.
An Asia first was recently achieved on Murphy's Kikeh Spar where 16.77" drilling riser was decommissioned with an engineered, custom designed, mechanized, hands-free system that meets API standards, exceeding client's requirements on penetration of tubular body and cold work over a producing facility as well as overcoming the challenges posed by the rig's limitations of weight and size of the tong and associated handling equipment.
Connections with torque in excess of 257,000 ft.lbs (a world record with fully rotational power tong in field operation) were broken out and laid down with a non-marking handling system; safely and two days ahead of schedule with estimated savings of USD 2M.
This paper will discuss (1) engagement with Client and Rig on requirements and limitations. Collaboration between Global and Regional teams in meeting Client's timeline and requirement while overcoming rig's limitation (2) meeting the challenges with customized, engineered solutions that meet industrial standards (3) pre-qualification of systems for penetration and torque (4) provision of complete cold work decommissioning solution to prepare against uncertainties in pulling a riser which was operational for the last eight years (5) overriding focus on cost and time savings to increase efficiency in a challenging market.