Future Heavy Well Intervention

At the Offshore Energy 2015 exhibition in Amsterdam this week, Herrenknecht and Ulstein will present their future vision of heavy well intervention.

Herrenknecht Vertical GmbH (HVG) from Germany and Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V. (UDS BV) from the Netherlands is presenting ULSTEIN DX105. This heavy well intervention vessel design featuring the HVG Terra Invader 750 drill tower, the companies introduce a state-of-the-art heavy well intervention vessel for water depths up to 2,500m (8,250 ft).

The unique integration of the Herrenknecht equipment resulted in a compact, fully integrated vessel design, specifically aimed at cost efficiency in medium and heavy well intervention operations, punching well over its weight with regards to drilling capabilities.

The large, free work deck of the ULSTEIN DX105 with direct access to the moonpool, allows the vessel to carry a large diversity of additional well equipment, like:

• Coiled tubing equipment

• Wireline equipment

• Storage of multiple X-mas trees and other subsea equipment

• Cementing equipment and storage of extra drill pipes, risers and casings

• Well testing equipment

• Future well technologies 

The HVG drill tower consist of an A-frame structure, allowing for easy access to the drill floor. “By using an automated horizontal racking system, a light substructure could be realized, which in combination with the weight saving A-frame solution resulted in a lower CoG,” says Dennis Vollmar of Herrenknecht Vertical. “And that of course improves also the operational envelope of the vessel.”

“Over the last decade, deepwater drilling has taken a flight, meaning that in the near future these wells will need servicing and maintenance,” adds Bram Lambregts, deputy director at Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V. “Its higher payloads and mobilization speed compared to semi-submersibles ensure that the ULSTEIN DX105 is less dependent on nearby infrastructures. This is of great importance for well intervention operations in remote areas and harsh environments, which is further enhanced by applying the proven ULSTEIN X-BOW® to increase the operational window of the vessel.”

Main dimensions of the vessel are:

Loa                             154.4 m           

Loa                             148.2 m

Beam (moulded)             29.4 m          

Depth                             11.2 m          

Draught (operational)        7.5 m

Deadweight             ca 13,000 t

Speed                              15 kn

Installed power             6 x 4,200 kW

Positioning                   DP3

Free deck space          1,500 m2

Cargo hold                      850 m2

Complement                    100 p

Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V. (formerly Ulstein Sea of Solutions B.V.) specializes in the design and development of ships for the offshore drilling, construction and renewable market, fully customizing them to meet client specific operational requirements.

Herrenknecht Vertical develops and manufactures innovative deep drilling systems to explore energy resources.