Tethered BOP system helps bring shut-in U.S. Gulf well back online
(WO) — Trendsetter Vulcan Offshore (TVO) has deployed its Hercules tethered blowout preventer (TBOP) system to support the workover of a shut-in well in the Gulf of America, enabling a deepwater dynamically positioned (DP) rig to safely conduct operations in shallow water.
The project involved a well in the northwestern Gulf where the operator sought to use a DP rig already working under a long-term deepwater contract rather than mobilize a separate moored rig for the shallow-water intervention.
According to TVO, its Hercules TBOP system was specifically developed to allow deepwater floaters equipped with dynamic positioning systems to perform work safely in shallow-water environments.
The operator, which had previously used the technology on another project, engaged TVO during the planning phase to evaluate site conditions and adapt the system to the requirements of the well.
TVO engineers modified and customized the blowout preventer system for the application and conducted in-situ load testing to validate performance before installation. The company said the workover was completed as planned and the shut-in well was successfully returned to production.
“Our TBOP technology is the foundation of innovative solutions installed globally, and we are continually refining functionality to meet the operator’s precise needs,” said Jim Maher, president of TVO.
By utilizing the existing deepwater rig, the operator avoided the cost and logistical complexity associated with mobilizing a separate moored rig to the location.
TVO said its tethered BOP technology has been deployed on offshore projects worldwide for more than a decade, supporting drilling and intervention operations in the Gulf of America/Mexico, North Sea, South America and Australasia.
Image: The Hercules TBOP system was developed specifically to allow a deepwater floater fitted with a dynamic positioning (DP) system to work safely in shallow water. (Photo courtesy of Trendsetter Vulcan Offshore)
