Innovative designs, equipment advances and newbuilds

The deepwater moratorium and subsequent permitting backlog in the US Gulf of Mexico have created substantial uncertainty in the rig market, but booming deepwater regions elsewhere in the world and the unstoppable shale plays onshore are driving the industry forward. The offerings highlighted in this year’s Guide to New Rigs and Rig Floor Equipment reflect contemporary industry goals of safety, small footprint, autonomous operation and time savings.

Six companies present a wide range of equipment advances in the Rig Floor Equipment segment: a marine engine series for dynamically positioned platforms and other applications; a line of drilling power modules for offshore and onshore use; a trackless iron roughneck; a stand transfer system; a “fly by wire” pipe handling system; a top-drive-controlled casing running tool; a rotary-mounted, multifunctional slip; and an integrated makeup/breakout system.

Offerings in the New Rig Design segment ranged from advances in existing rig architectures to the truly experimental: small-footprint, easy-to-transport land rigs for European markets; a geothermal land rig that can navigate tight spaces; a versatile onshore/offshore workover unit; a multifunction ultra-deepwater vessel; a next-generation rig with a continuous tripping system; and a prototype autonomous seafloor drilling unit.

The Newbuild Report, now with data supplied by World Oil’s offshore rig database RigStar, details the fourth-quarter 2010 resurgence of offshore rig orders and explains how events in the Gulf of Mexico have affected day rates and rig movement.