NL2009429C2

NL2009429C2 - Drillship.

Info

Publication number: NL2009429C2
Application number: NL2009429A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Sjoerd Maarten Hendriks
Original assignee: Gustomsc Recources B V
Priority date: 2012-09-07
Filing date: 2012-09-07
Publication date: 2014-03-10
Also published as: WO2014038942A1

Abstract

Drillship comprising a hull and at least one deck arranged for accommodating equipment units; wherein the hull comprises multiple hull spaces and the at least one deck comprises multiple deck areas, wherein a number of first deck areas and a number of first hull spaces are reserved for the arrangement of standard drillship equipment units and wherein at least one second deck area and at least one second hull space is reserved for the arrangement of optional drillship equipment unit.

Description

P99294NL00 Title: Drillship

The invention relates to a drillship.

Drillships are widely used in offshore application for the drilling of underwater oil and/or gas wells. A drillship typically is a maritime vessel that has been fitted with drilling apparatus and equipment thereto.

5 A drillship is usually designed and manufactured upon a vessel owner’s order. The drillship is at least fitted with drilling equipment units that are standard to all drillships. In addition, some vessel owners also wish to have optional equipment on board the drillship. In fact, every drillship is fully custom-made designed and engineered to the wishes of the 10 vessel owner. This may sometimes result in a relatively complex deck and/or hull arrangement. Making every ship custom-made may result in a relatively long design and engineering phase. Further, tailoring every drillship to the needs of the vessel owner may result in a relatively long manufacturing time. A drillship may therefore require rather large, for 15 example financial, investments.

There is a need for a drillship that obviates at least one of the above mentioned drawbacks. In particular, there is a need for a drillship that is a less complex and safe working place and/or may have a reduced design and/or engineering and/or manufacturing time.

20 Thereto, the invention provides for a drillship comprising a hull and at least one deck arranged for accommodating equipment units; wherein the hull comprises multiple hull spaces and at least one deck comprises multiple deck areas, wherein a number of first deck areas and a number of first hull spaces are reserved for the arrangement of standard 25 drillship equipment units and wherein at least one second deck area and at least one second hull space is reserved for the arrangement of optional drillship equipment unit.

2

By organizing the one or more decks in multiple deck areas and by organizing the hull in multiple hull spaces, some deck areas and some hull spaces can be reserved to arrange standard drillship equipment, while other deck areas and other hull spaces can be reserved for optional drillship 5 equipment. Due to the organization in deck areas, and hull spaces, in particular in first and second deck areas and in first and second hull spaces, a more standardized drillship can be obtained. In fact, every drillship can then have the same organization in first and second deck areas and in first and second hull spaces, which may simplify the design and engineering of 10 the drillship. The standard equipment units and the optional equipment units can then be arranged in the first deck areas and first hull spaces and the second deck areas and second hull spaces respectively without the need of changing the external vessel main dimensions. A drill ship typically is provided with at least one deck, mostly denoted as the main deck. Further, 15 some drillships may also be provided with one or more additional decks that are approximately parallel to the main deck, but are usually positioned above it. Such an additional deck can extend over approximately the length of the vessel, but can also extend over a part of the length of the vessel. According to the invention, advantageously, the decks of the drillship are 20 organized in multiple deck areas of which there is at least one first deck area and there is at least one second deck area.

Preferably, the second deck area and the second hull space have a predetermined position on the deck and hull respectively. By providing this predetermined position, the position of the second deck area and of the 25 second hull space is fixed and thus the position for the optional drillship equipment is fixed which further simplifies the design, engineering and/or manufacturing of the drillship. At least one second deck area and at least one second hull space is reserved for the optional equipment units. Depending on the size of the drillship, it may be that a smaller size drillship 30 is provided with one predetermined second deck area and one 3 predetermined second hull space, while a larger size drillship may be provided with two second deck areas and two second hull spaces for example.

More preferably, each of the first deck areas and each of the first 5 hull spaces have a predetermined position as well. Thus, the deck layout and/or the hull space layout are predetermined and can therefore be the same for subsequent drillships. It is therefore known, for each drillship where the standard equipment units have to be arranged and where the optional equipment units have to be arranged. The standard equipment 10 units may be allocated to predetermined first deck areas and/or first hull spaces, but the arrangement of the standard equipment may also vary.

In an advantageous embodiment, each of the first deck areas and each of the first hull spaces have a predetermined standard drillship equipment allocated thereto. This means that for each drillship design, the 15 layout of at least one deck and the hull can be known. It is known where all standard equipment units have to be positioned and it is known where the optional equipment units have to be positioned. It is then not known, because depending on the vessel owner’s wishes or requirements, which optional equipment units have to be arranged in the second deck area and in 20 the second hull space.

Standard drillship equipment units are understood to be those drillship equipment units that are on board of every drillship. For example, an accommodation unit, a pipe storage unit, crane units, a helideck unit, a single drilling derrick unit, a moonpool area unit, a drilling equipment hold 25 unit, a power generation unit, a station-keeping system, a working deck unit, a first mud system unit are all standard drillship equipment units.

This list is not limitative.

Optional drillship equipment units are understood to be those drillship equipment units that may be on board, but do not have to be on 30 board. Whether they are on board of the drillship or not depends on the 4 customer’s wish. They are therefore considered optional. Examples of such optional equipment units are: a dual derrick unit, a separate second mud system unit, a cuttings storage unit, a dual gradient equipment unit, a managed pressure drilling equipment, a riser hang-off station, an increased 5 moonpool size and/or an adapted moonpool shape and /or an additional moonpool. This list is not limitative.

More advantageous embodiments are in the subclaims.

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of an exemplary embodiment that is represented in a drawing. The exemplary embodiment is 10 given by way of a non-limitative illustration of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a simplified and schematic perspective view of a drillship according to the invention.

It is noted that the figure is only a schematic representation of an 15 embodiment of the invention. It is noted that the figure is not to scale.

Fig. 1 shows a drillship 1 according to the invention. The drillship 1 has a deck 2 and a hull 3. The deck 2 is organized in multiple deck areas 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h and 4i. The hull 3 is organized in multiple hull spaces 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e and 5f. Each of the deck areas 4a - 4i and each of 20 the hull spaces 5a - 5f have a predetermined destination. Depending on e.g. the size of the ship more or less deck areas and/or more or less hull spaces may be provided.

For example, in this embodiment the deck areas 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, , 4f, 4g, 4h and 4i are first deck areas, meaning that they are predetermined 25 to receive standard drillship equipment units thereon. Deck area 4e is a second deck area, meaning that this deck area is reserved for optional drillship equipment units thereon. Thus, the layout of the deck 2 is predetermined and the vessel owner can customize deck area 4e with optional equipment units. Due to the organization in first and second deck 30 areas and first and second hull spaces, all areas and spaces are assigned.

5

And at least one second area and at least one second hull space is predetermined assigned for optional equipment units. This significantly reduces the design, engineering and/or construction time of the drillship.

In this embodiment, the following standard drillship equipment 5 units are shown: the helideck 6, the accommodation unit 7, a pipe storage area with work deck 8, cranes 9, a single drilling derrick 10, a pipe storage area with work deck as well as a superstructure with support facilities 11, cranes 12 and a work deck 13. The support facilities may be e.g. a remote underwater vehicle, a mud treatment system, a cementing unit etc.

10 Furthermore, between the drilling derrick 10 and the pipe storage area with work deck 8 and the pipe storage area with work deck 11 catwalks 14 are provided. Depending on e.g. the size and/or specialistic use of the ship, the arrangement of the standard equipment units may vary. However, the standard equipment units are on board of the drillship, albeit in a different 15 configuration or layout.

In this embodiment, the hull spaces 5a, 5b, 5d, 5e and 5f are first hull space that are reserved for receiving standard drillship equipment units, meaning drillship equipment units that are on board of practically every drillship. In this embodiment, the hull space 5c is the second hull 20 space, that is reserved for receiving the optional equipment units. Thus, the layout and arrangement of the hull is predetermined , which significantly reduces the design, engineering and/or construction time. The vessel owner then can customize the second hull space 5c with the optional equipment units that the vessel owner wants to have on board.

25 For example, in this embodiment the following standard drillship equipment is provided. In first hull space 5b a hold for drilling equipment, such as risers, is provided. In first hull space 5d the moonpool area, including the Xtree storage and handling facilities are provided. In first hull space 5e the hull drilling functional spaces are arranged, such as sack store, 6 a mud pump room, mud pits, bulk storage facilities etc. In first hull space 5f the power generation and distribution facilities are provided.

By organizing the at least one deck and the hull in predetermined deck areas and hull spaces and reserving at least one of them for the 5 optional equipment units while the remainder of the deck areas and hull spaces are reserved for standard equipment units, a less complex layout may be obtained. Also, the design, engineering and/or construction time may be reduced.

The invention is not limited to the above shown embodiment.

10 Many variants are possible and are apparent to the person skilled in the art. All variants are understood to be comprised within the scope of the invention defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. Boorschip omvattende een romp en ten minste één dek ingericht voor het huisvesten van uitrustingseenheden; waarbij de romp meerdere rompruimten en het ten minste ene dek meerdere dekgebieden omvat, waarbij een aantal eerste dekgebieden en een aantal eerste rompruimten 5 zijn gereserveerd voor de plaatsing van standaard boorschip- uitrustingseenheden en waarbij ten minste één tweede dekgebied en ten minste één tweede rompruimte is gereserveerd voor de plaatsing van optionele boorschip-uitrustingseenheid.A drill ship comprising a hull and at least one deck adapted to accommodate equipment units; wherein the hull comprises a plurality of hull spaces and the at least one deck comprises a plurality of deck areas, wherein a number of first deck areas and a number of first hull spaces 5 are reserved for the placement of standard drilling vessel equipment units and wherein at least one second deck area and at least one second hull space is reserved for the installation of an optional drilling vessel equipment unit.

2. Boorschip volgens conclusie 1, waarbij het tweede dekgebied en de 10 tweede rompruimte zijn voorzien op een voorafbepaalde positie van respectievelijk het tenminste ene dek en de romp.2. Drilling ship according to claim 1, wherein the second deck area and the second hull space are provided at a predetermined position of the at least one deck and the hull, respectively.

3. Boorschip volgens conclusie 1 of 2, waarbij elk van de eerste dekgebieden en elk van de eerste rompruimten is voorzien op een voorafbepaalde positie van respectievebjk het dek en de romp.Drilling vessel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the first deck areas and each of the first hull spaces is provided at a predetermined position of the deck and the hull, respectively.

4. Boorschip volgens één van de conclusies 1 - 3, waarbij een standaard boorschip-uitrustingseenheid kan zijn: een accommodatie-eenheid, een pijpopslageenheid, kraaneenheden, een helikopterdekeenheid, een enkele boortoreneenheid, een Moon-Poolgebiedeenheid, een booruitrustingshoudereenheid, een stroomopwekeenheid, een 20 positiebewaarsysteem, een werkdekeenheid, een eerste boorvloeistofsysteemeenheid.The drill ship according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein a standard drill ship equipment unit can be: an accommodation unit, a pipe storage unit, crane units, a helicopter deck unit, a single derrick unit, a Moon Pole area unit, a drill equipment holder unit, a power generation unit, a 20 position-retaining system, a working deck unit, a first drilling fluid system unit.

5. Boorschip volgens één van de conclusies 1 - 4, waarbij een optionele boorschipuitrustingseenheid kan zijn: een dubbele boortoreneenheid, een aparte tweede boorvloeistofsysteemeenheid, een 25 snijmateriaalopslag-eenheid, een Dual-Gradientuitrustingseenheid, een Managed-Pressure-Drilling uitrustingseenheid, een Riser-Hang-Offstation, een vergrote Moon-Poolgrootte en/of een aangepaste Moon-Poolvorm en/of een additionele Moon-Pool.5. Drilling vessel as claimed in any of the claims 1-4, wherein an optional drilling vessel equipment unit can be: a double drilling tower unit, a separate second drilling fluid system unit, a cutting material storage unit, a Dual-Gradient equipment unit, a Managed-Pressure-Drilling equipment unit, a Riser equipment Hang-off station, an enlarged Moon-Pool size and / or a modified Moon-Pool shape and / or an additional Moon-Pool.