Rosneft, as part of the Sakhalin-1 Project Consortium, has successfully completed drilling of the world's longest well at the Chaivo field.
Production well O-14 was drilled in the direction of the extreme south-eastern tip of the field from the Orlan drilling platform. The well has the world's largest hole depth of 13,500 meters and a horizontal section of the well with a length of 12,033 meters. It took 156 days to drill the well.
Let's go to the distant Sea of Okhotsk and see how oil is extracted from its bottom.
1. Journey to the drilling platform starts from the heliport of the onshore production complex "Chayvo". First, a thorough briefing, putting on survival diving suits and clarifying the flight plan and filming. I will make a separate article about the flight itself, it was painfully different from the usual helicopter flight.
2. Shallow shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk. There is still ice on the shore, and a little in the distance it has already opened.
3. Potential recoverable reserves under the Sakhalin-1 project are 307 million tons (2.3 billion barrels) of oil and 485 billion cubic meters. meters (17.1 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas.
4. They are all under the seabed of the Sea of Okhotsk in three fields: Chaivo, Odoptu and Arkutun-Dagi.
5. On approaching the platform, we are met by the Kigoriak support vessel, which is constantly on duty near the drilling platform in accordance with safety rules.
6. Sat on the platform. Our luggage is unloaded and everyone leaves. Only photographers and operators remain in the helicopter. Now we will shoot beautiful views and panoramas.
7. Drilling platform "Orlan", support vessel "Kigoriak" and supply vessel "Vitus Bering". The steel-concrete base of the Orlan easily withstands the onslaught of ice and giant hummocks, reaching the height of a six-story building.
8. The Orlan platform was originally called Glomar Beaufor sea I (Glomar Beaufort Sea I) and was built in 1983-1984. in Japan. In 1984, the platform was towed and installed in the Beaufort Sea (USA, Alaska). The platform was operated as an exploration drilling rig. As a result of its operation, it was practically proved that the platform design is suitable for year-round operation in harsh Arctic conditions. Between 1984 and 1997, the platform drilled 6 exploration wells. Further, the platform was purchased for the Sakhalin-1 project and converted from exploration to production.
9. After a global modernization, when the latest drilling equipment was installed on the platform (and in fact only the base remained from the old platform), the Orlan was towed to a permanent parking lot. Its pontoons were filled and the platform sank forever to the prepared bottom of the Sea of Okhotsk. At the installation site of the Orlan platform with drilling and residential modules, the sea depth is 15 m. This happened in 2004.
10. For the delivery of goods, temporary warehousing or accommodation of personnel (if the number of free places on the platform is over), the newest vessel (launched in 2013) of the Vitus Bering icebreaking class supply vessel is used. At the time of the survey, the ship was reloading drill pipe after the completion of well O-14.
11. Safety comes first. Both personal and industrial. They immediately warn that electronic devices (telephones, for example) can only be used in the residential block. I’ll tell you about cameras later - not everything was simple there. For a shift conducted without incident, everyone receives a significant bonus. But if someone cuts at least a finger, that's it - there is no bonus. Therefore, everyone looks after themselves and their neighbors so that all safety standards are observed. In the comments below, they wrote to me that this is a duck. I don't know, I just heard it on the platform. Most likely the truth is out there somewhere.
12. Our acquaintance with the platform begins with the collection point for lifeboat No. 4. Our whole group is assigned to it. In case of an alarm, you should arrive at this point, turn over the card and wait for instructions here.
13. In the first three boats, life suits are stored near the collection point - in the dining room. It is also a protected bunker-shelter in case of emergency. And our wetsuits are stored near the boat itself.
14. All canteens of the project are a sample of culinary art. Of course, here you will not find artsy dishes, but everything is very tasty and varied. In addition to the first and second, you can find salads, herbs, vegetables, fruits, desserts, pastries, ice cream (!), juices, and water. Everything is free and the number of approaches is not limited. :)
15. Office in the residential module. In general, nothing special.
16. Safety corners are made throughout the module. Emergency equipment, stretchers, first aid kits.
17. As far as I know, there is no explosion-proof camera. There are even special explosion-proof cameras, but, as they say, they shoot badly. And with an ordinary good camera, you can’t enter the work area. But how to shoot? Therefore, gas analyzers are hung on us. The instruction is simple - if he squeaks, then you need to quickly leave this room and only then figure out what he squeaked there.
18. Brief educational program - what is a borehole. The basic idea is like a high-rise building, but in reverse. First, they drill a large diameter, and then slowly reduce it.
19. Real drillers. Watch 28 days. Work 12/12 hours. Pay attention to the helmets - they are all with wide brim. This was done in order to protect the shoulders of falling objects or liquids.
20. Our group. Fireproof overalls, helmets, goggles and white gloves! By the way, they are very comfortable. Naturally, special shoes.
21. I would like to say a single word about the team. About 100 people work on the platform during the month. All of them are professionals of the highest quality. But the platform is a small island in the sea. And the company is doing everything possible to maintain a healthy mood in the team during work. Good and tasty food in the dining room is one of the components, by the way. As well as rest rooms and a gym... Well, people... That's it, I want to emphasize that it was everyone with whom I talked - examples of calmness, cheerfulness and professionalism.
22. Pipe warehouse. The photo shows a small part of it. As kilometers of pipes are extracted, they are stored here, and then reloaded onto a supply vessel.
23. The best view on the platform!
24. Although, there are not many special species at all. I looked around and everything. Pay attention to the gray wall on the left. This is part of the drilling complex. Look, a flexible supply of communications is made from below. The fact is that the platform is motionless, and a couple of dozen wells need to be drilled. Therefore, the drilling rig moves along the X and Y coordinates. The range of mobility in any direction is about 10 meters.
25. At the time of the helicopter landing, the crane was secured and the supply vessel moved away from the platform. Loading operations have now resumed.
26. And how lucky we were with the weather!
.::clickable::.
27. And now it's time to go to the rig. Just the other day, Rosneft, as part of the Sakhalin-1 Project Consortium, successfully completed drilling of the longest well in the world at the Chayvo field, production well O-14. This well was drilled in the direction of the extreme south-eastern tip of the field from the Orlan drilling platform. The well has the world's largest borehole length of 13,500 meters and a vertical offset of 12,034 meters.
28. Operator and his assistant. From here, all control of the process is carried out.
29. Everything is as automated as possible.
30. This is one of the most powerful offshore drilling rigs in the world.
31. The captain of the drilling platform.
32. The achieved well depth (13,500 m) is actually close to the limit in terms of technical capabilities for the currently existing drilling rigs and world technologies. At the time of the survey, the drill string was being retrieved. As you can see in the photo, the drill is located at a depth of 8887 meters.
33. Drilling operator.
34. It took 156 days to drill the well.
35. The platform has a minimum of facilities for product preparation, since all produced products are fed to the Chayvo onshore processing facility.
36. The record well was made according to the scheme of one trunk. But there are already multilateral wells on the platform. This is when several shafts are drilled from one wellhead.
37. After all 8.8 kilometers of pipes have been selected, a pipe for oil production will be lowered into the well and a new well will be put into operation.
38. We get out to the site again.
39. "Kigoriak" is the "Polar Star" from some language of the northern peoples. A competition was held for the best name and the boy won it. An excursion to the ship and a big cake were provided for him :) By the way, as they said on the platform, the entire bridge near the ship is lined with tubs of greens and vegetables. So the captain has fun - he grows his own garden for a common table.
40. Loading drill pipes.
41. Diamond drill bit. Differs in the highest accuracy and balancing.
42. Vincent Kessler - project manager. A real driller from Texas! He took us along the platform and told us all the details.
43. Platform control cabin. All information from here is available online to everyone. Well, who has access, of course.
44. Scheme of drilled wells from the platform.
45. Preventer (from lat. Praevenio - I warn) - a working element of a set of blowout equipment installed at the wellhead. The main function of the preventer is to seal the mouth of an oil and gas well in emergency situations during construction or repair work on the well. The sealing of the well prevents open flowing of oil and, as a result, prevents the occurrence of a fire or environmental pollution.
46. From here, oil enters the onshore complex.
47. Wellheads. O-14 is the twenty-first well. One more will be drilled and thus the total number will be 22. There are no pumps in the wells. Oil rises only due to the pressure in the reservoir. Naturally, associated gas is pumped back. Yes, there are 11 wells in the photo. The rest are under the floor, on the first floor of the room.
48. Lifeboats.
49. 18 of the 30 longest ERD (extended reach) wells in the world were drilled on the Sakhalin-1 project
50. In the following posts, I will talk about the onshore complex and the Yastreb drilling rig. A separate post will be about the specialized Mi-8 helicopter.
51. Many thanks to all workers of the drilling rig for hospitality and safety!
Special news report. Sorry, their crooked player code doesn't work.
Mining is carried out with the help of special engineering structures - drilling platforms. They provide the necessary conditions for development to take place. The drilling platform can be equipped at different depths - it depends on how deep they lie and the gas.
Land drilling
Oil occurs not only on land, but also in the continental plume, which is surrounded by water. That is why some installations are equipped with special elements, thanks to which they stay on the water. Such a drilling platform is a monolithic structure that acts as a support for the rest of the elements. Installation of the structure is carried out in several stages:
- first, a test well is drilled, which is necessary to determine the location of the field; if there is a prospect of developing a specific zone, then further work is carried out;
- a site for a drilling rig is being prepared: for this, the surrounding area is leveled as much as possible;
- the foundation is poured, especially if the tower is heavy;
- a drilling tower and its other elements are assembled on a prepared basis.
Methods for determining the deposit
Drilling platforms are the main structures on the basis of which oil and gas are being developed both on land and on water. Construction of drilling platforms is carried out only after the presence of oil and gas in a particular region is determined. To do this, a well is drilled using various methods: rotary, rotary, turbine, volumetric, screw and many others.
The most common is the rotary method: when using it, a rotating bit is driven into the rock. The popularity of this technology is explained by the ability of drilling to withstand significant loads for a long time.
Loads on platforms
The drilling platform can be very different in design, but it must be built competently, primarily taking into account safety indicators. If they are not taken care of, the consequences can be severe. For example, due to incorrect calculations, the installation may simply collapse, which will lead not only to financial losses, but also to the death of people. All loads that act on installations are:
- Constant: they mean the forces acting throughout the operation of the platform. This is the weight of the structures themselves over the installation, and the resistance of water, if we are talking about offshore platforms.
- Temporary: such loads act on the structure under certain conditions. Only during the start of the installation is there a strong vibration.
In our country, various types of drilling platforms have been developed. To date, 8 stationary production systems are operating on the Russian pipeline.
Surface platforms
Oil can occur not only on land, but also under the water column. To extract it in such conditions, drilling platforms are used, which are placed on floating structures. In this case, pontoons, self-propelled barges are used as floating facilities - this depends on the specific features of oil development. Offshore drilling platforms have certain design features, so they can float on the water. Depending on how deep the oil or gas is, different drilling rigs are used.
About 30% of oil is extracted from offshore fields, so wells are increasingly being built on water. Most often this is done in shallow water by fixing piles and installing platforms, towers, and the necessary equipment on them. Floating platforms are used to drill wells in deep water areas. In some cases, dry drilling of water wells is performed, which is advisable for shallow openings up to 80 m.
floating platform
Floating platforms are installed at a depth of 2-150 m and can be used in different conditions. Such structures can be compact in size and work in small rivers, or they can be installed in the open sea. A floating drilling platform is an advantageous structure, since even with a small size, it can pump out a large volume of oil or gas. And this makes it possible to save on transport costs. Such a platform spends several days at sea, then returns to the base to empty the tanks.
Stationary platform
A stationary offshore drilling platform is a structure that consists of a topside structure and a supporting base. It is fixed in the ground. The design features of such systems are different, so the following types of stationary installations are distinguished:
- gravity: the stability of these structures is ensured by the own weight of the structure and the weight of the received ballast;
- pile: they gain stability due to piles driven into the ground;
- mast: the stability of these structures is provided by braces or the required amount of buoyancy.
Depending on the depth at which oil and gas are being developed, all stationary platforms are divided into several types:
- deep-sea on columns: the base of such installations is in contact with the bottom of the water area, and columns are used as supports;
- shallow water platforms on columns: they have the same structure as deep water systems;
- structural island: such a platform stands on a metal base;
- a monopod is a shallow platform on one support, made in the form of a tower type and has vertical or inclined walls.
It is fixed platforms that account for the main production capacities, as they are more economically profitable and easier to install and operate. In a simplified version, such installations have a steel frame base, which acts as a supporting structure. But it is necessary to use stationary platforms taking into account the static nature and depth of water in the drilling area.
Installations in which the base is made of reinforced concrete are laid on the bottom. They do not need additional fasteners. Such systems are used in shallow water fields.
drilling barge
At sea, it is carried out by means of mobile installations of the following types: self-elevating, semi-submersible, drilling ships and barges. Barges are used in shallow water fields, and there are several types of barges that can operate at very different depths: from 4 m to 5000 m.
A drilling platform in the form of a barge is used in the initial stages of field development, when it is necessary to drill wells in shallow water or protected areas. Such installations are used in the mouths of rivers, lakes, swamps, canals at a depth of 2-5 m. Most of these barges are not self-propelled, so they cannot be used to work on the high seas.
The drilling barge has three main components: an underwater submersible pontoon that is installed on the bottom, a surface platform with a working deck, and a structure that connects these two parts.
Climbing platform
Jack-up drilling platforms are similar to drilling barges, but the former are more modernized and advanced. They rise on masts-jacks, which rest on the bottom.
Structurally, such installations consist of 3-5 supports with shoes, which are lowered and pressed into the bottom for the duration of drilling operations. Such structures can be anchored, but supports are a safer mode of operation, since the hull of the installation does not touch the surface of the water. The self-elevating floating platform can operate at depths up to 150 m.
This type of installation rises above the sea surface thanks to the columns that rest on the ground. The upper deck of the pontoon is the place where the necessary technological equipment is mounted. All self-elevating systems differ in the shape of the pontoon, the number of support columns, the shape of their section and design features. In most cases, the pontoon has a triangular, rectangular shape. The number of columns is 3-4, but in early projects the systems were created on 8 columns. The derrick itself is either located on the upper deck or extends aft.
drilling ship
These drilling rigs are self-propelled and do not require towing to the site where the work is being carried out. The design of such systems is carried out specifically for installation at shallow depths, so they are not stable. Drilling ships are used in oil and gas exploration at a depth of 200-3000 m and deeper. A drilling rig is placed on such a vessel, and drilling is carried out directly through a technological hole in the deck itself.
At the same time, the vessel is equipped with all the necessary equipment so that it can be operated in all weather conditions. The anchor system allows you to ensure the proper level of stability on the water. The extracted oil after purification is stored in special tanks in the hull, and then reloaded into cargo tankers.
Semi-submersible installation
The semi-submersible oil drilling rig is one of the most popular offshore drilling rigs as it can operate at depths of over 1500m. Floating structures can submerge to considerable depths. The installation is complemented by vertical and inclined braces and columns, which ensure the stability of the entire structure.
The upper body of such systems is living quarters, which are equipped with the latest technology and have the necessary supplies. The popularity of semi-submersible installations is explained by a variety of architectural solutions. They depend on the number of pontoons.
Semi-submersible installations have 3 types of draft: drilling, storm water mode and transition. The buoyancy of the system is provided by supports, which also allow the installation to maintain a vertical position. It should be noted that work on drilling platforms in Russia is highly paid, but for this you need to have not only the appropriate education, but also extensive work experience.
conclusions
Thus, the drilling platform is a modernized system of various types, which can drill wells at various depths. The structures are widely used in the oil and gas industry. Each installation is assigned a specific task, so they differ in design features, functionality, and the amount of processing, and transportation of resources.
An oil platform is a huge industrial complex designed for drilling wells and extracting hydrocarbons located at great depths. Installations for the extraction of oil and gas from the bowels of the Earth are amazing: imagine a man-made structure weighing half a million tons, capable of drilling wells up to 10-13 km even in conditions of partial submersion under water - and you will understand that this is a triumph of engineering thought of modern man. But even among these mighty structures there are giants, the mere sight of which causes awe:
TROLL-A
The TROLL-A reinforced concrete fishing platform is the world's heaviest artificial object capable of moving on the surface of our planet. The total weight of the natural gas platform is 1.2 million tons loaded with ballast (dry weight - about 650-680,000 tons) and a height of 472 meters (of which 369 is occupied by an underwater concrete structure). This is a real miracle of engineering, installed in the Norwegian gas and oil field Troll in the North Sea.
Drilling rigs "Uralmash"
The largest land drilling rigs have been produced in our country since the 70s. The Uralmash-15000 drilling rig was involved in drilling the Kola super-deep well: a 20-story building high structure was able to drill a well up to 15 km deep! But the largest installations on floating platforms are the Aker H-6e systems (pictured), also produced by Norwegians. The working deck area of this design is 6300 m 2 , and the drilling depth reaches 10 km.
Statfjord-B
You can't miss the Statfjord-B drilling rig, the largest floating technical structure in the world. The tower, built in Norway in 1981, is 271 meters high, including the concrete base, and the total weight of the structure is 840,000 tons. The industrial complex can produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil per day, while the tanks will be enough for 2,000,000 barrels. Moreover, the platform is a real city on the water: in addition to the drilling rig, it houses a seven-story high-class hotel, a chemical laboratory, a helipad and a whole fleet of rescue and support equipment.
Perdido Spar
But the deepest platform is located in the Gulf of Mexico, where it is moored at a depth of 2450 meters above the Perdido oil and gas field. The maximum capacity of the platform is 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day! The height of Perdido Spar is 267 meters, that is, this is a real underwater Eiffel Tower!
Eva-4000
Another giant, but of a new generation, is the Eva-4000 drilling platform, also located in the Gulf of Mexico, 240 km from Louisiana. It is owned by Noble Amos Runner and at a height of 106 meters (the platform does not provide for a residential complex) is capable of drilling at a depth of 9700 m.
To the village of Nogliki, SE's stronghold in the north of Sakhalin, workers and personnel travel by train, in the company's private carriage. An ordinary compartment car is nothing special, though a little cleaner than usual.
Each passenger is given this lunch box:
Upon arrival in Nogliki, the supervisor meets everyone and decides what to do next - either a temporary camp, or the airport - by helicopter, or (if the weather is non-flying) by boat. We were sent straight to the airport. To fly by helicopter, it is necessary to take a Helicopter in Distress Rescue (HUET) course in advance in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. In this training, you are put on special thermal suits equipped with a respiratory system and are turned upside down in the pool, in an imitation helicopter cockpit, but that's another story again...
At the airport, everyone undergoes a personal search (including dog handlers)
Pre-flight briefing describing the situation if the helicopter still crashes and putting on rescue suits.
The suits are terribly uncomfortable, but if the helicopter crashes, they can keep you afloat and keep your body warm until rescuers arrive. True, if you get out of a sinking helicopter in this suit ...
The platform is located 160-180 km from Noglik. The helicopter covers this distance in 50-60 minutes, flying all the time along the coast to minimize the risk of falling into the water, and flying along the way one more platform of the Sakhalin-2 project - "Molikpak".
After landing on the helipad, you descend to the introductory briefing room:
All! Now you are on an offshore oil platform, a piece of land in the sea, and there is nowhere to escape from this fact.
How to work here?
The PA-B platform operates around the clock and life here does not stop for a second. 12 hour day shift and 12 hour night shift.
I worked during the day, although someone says that the night is calmer and there is no daytime fuss. All this, of course, is addictive and after a couple of days you already feel like a cog in a huge mechanism, and an even better comparison is like an ant in an anthill. The worker ant woke up at 6 am, had breakfast with what the ant chef cooked, took the work order from the supervisor ant and went to work until the evening, until the shift ant came to replace ... At the same time, it's like - that unites everything.
After 3 days, I already knew almost everyone by sight ...
And I felt as if we were all part of one whole, practically relatives.
But there are 140 people working on the platform (this is exactly the number that should be on the platform and none more so that the Alpha, Betta and Gamma lifeboats can evacuate everyone. That is why we were transferred to spend the night on the ship for a couple of days). A strange feeling ... it all looked like one continuous day.
I woke up, went to the dining room, greeted the person from the night shift, for whom it was dinner, he went to bed, and in the evening we met again in the dining room, only he was already having breakfast, and I was having dinner. For him it was already a different day, but for me it's the same! And so again and again ... a vicious circle. So day after day, night after night, a week passed.
How to live here?
In principle, the platform has all the conditions for a comfortable stay and free time. All conditions are created here so that a person does not bother himself with everyday problems, but completely devotes himself to 2 occupations - work and rest.
Once you have been assigned to your cabin, you can be sure that upon arrival you will find a crib with fresh linens already made, which is changed every few days. Cabins are regularly cleaned and vacuumed. They come in 2 types: "2+2" and "2". Accordingly, for 4 people and for two.
As a rule, half of the residents work on the day shift, the rest on the night shift, so as not to interfere with each other. The decor is spartan - a minimum of furniture due to the lack of free space, but everything is very ergonomic and efficient. There is a shower with toilet next to each room.
Dirty items are washed in the laundry.
Upon check-in, you are given a mesh bag with your cabin number written on it. You put dirty linen in it, and then just bring it to the laundry and in a few hours you will find a fragrant freshness and ironed linen.
Work overalls are washed separately in special solutions - household chemicals do not wash oil and other accompanying delights.
There is a point with free Wi-Fi on each floor of the residential module (of course, all social networks are blocked). There is also a computer class - 4 computers for general Internet access and other needs. Usually they are used by laundresses to play solitaire.
There is also a small gym (by the way, pretty good):
Billiard:
Table tennis:
Cinema hall:
(the dudes attached a playstation to the projector and cut into races at dinner) in which something from the freshly replenished DVD collection is shown in the evening.
A few words about the canteen...
She is o.f.i.g.i.g.e.n.n.a. For a week of being on the platform, I scored 3 kege.
This is because everything is very tasty, unlimited and free =)
During the week, I don’t remember that the menu was repeated, but on the day of the oilman, it’s just like a holiday of the stomach: a bunch of shrimp, scallop and Baltic “zero” is standing with batteries!
Smoking on the platform is allowed only in strictly designated areas.
Moreover, in each such room there is a built-in electric lighter, since the use of lighters and matches is prohibited.
It seems that they cannot be transported and will be confiscated at the Noglik airport. It is also forbidden to use cell phones, but except for the residential module and only as an alarm clock. And in order to photograph something outside the habitation module, you will have to write out a special outfit, go through gas permit training and take a gas analyzer with you.
As I mentioned, the first few days we lived on the support ship "Smit Sibu" due to the fact that there is a limit of people on board due to the limited number of places in lifeboats in case of an emergency evacuation.
"Smit Sibu" runs constantly from "Molikpaq" to "PA-B" in case of emergency. For reloading to the ship, the "frog" device is used:
This thing really looks like a frog - a floating cabin, with an iron base and chairs inside. Before each transplant, again, you need to put on rescue suits.
Frog is hooked by a crane and dragged to the ship. The sensations are quite sharp when you are lifted to the height of the 9th floor in an open cockpit swaying in the wind and then lowered aboard in the same way. For the first time, I could not hold back a cry of delight from this free "attraction".
Unfortunately, in the zone of 500 meters from the platform, photography is strictly prohibited - a safety zone, and I don’t have any photos from frog "but with a view of the platform. There was nothing particularly interesting on the ship - it didn’t shake much, for breakfast they fed fresh caviar, boiled eggs and macaroni and cheese, and sockets everywhere are 120 volts and flat like in Japan.There was always a feeling that you were visiting, in someone else's house.Maybe the crew created such a mood...
In the evening, the only entertainment was walking around the upper deck and watching movies.
For the first time I saw a sunset on Sakhalin from the sea, when the sun goes behind the island.
And at night they approached the Molikpak very close. Millions of seagulls were circling around, and the torch was burning at full power - the pressure was probably being released. I was able to click on the platform piece from the porthole:
Well, in the morning again I had to put on rescue suits, climb into the "frog" and back to the platform.
One of the last days, I managed to get permission to take photos on the helipad
And on the upper deck. Flare system with pilot burner:
Many people ask why so much associated gas is burned through the flare, because it can be used for various purposes! First, not a lot, but a small part. And secondly, do you know why? So that in the event of an emergency, it would be possible to safely relieve gas pressure through the flare system, burn it and avoid an explosion.
And this is a drilling module. It is from it that the drilling process is carried out, you see how hefty!
Helicopter picking up personnel coming in for landing:
There is a planned loading of passengers flying to Nogliki:
The way back home seemed much faster and shorter. Everything was exactly the same, only in reverse order. Helicopter-train-Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk...
Today I will talk about how the Offshore Ice-Resistant Stationary Platform (OIRFP) is arranged using the example of an oil platform in the Caspian Sea, let's see how oil is produced in the sea.Although the platform stands almost in the center of the Caspian Sea, ubina here is only 12 meters. The water is clear and the bottom is clearly visible from a helicopter.
This drilling rig started pumping oil a little less than a year ago on April 28, 2010 and is designed for 30 years of operation. It consists of two parts connected by a 74-meter bridge:
118 people live in a residential block measuring 30 by 30 meters. They work in 2 shifts of 12 hours a day. The shift lasts 2 weeks. Swimming and fishing from the platform is strictly prohibited, as well as throwing any rubbish overboard. Smoking is allowed only in one place in the residential block. For a bull thrown into the sea, they are immediately fired:
The residential block is called LSP2 (Ice Resistant Stationary Platform), and the main drilling block is called LSP1:
It is called ice-resistant, because in winter the sea is covered with ice and it is designed to withstand it. The hose you see in the photo is the sea water that was used for cooling. She was taken from the sea, driven through the pipes and brought back. The platform is built on the principle of zero reset:
A support vessel constantly runs around the platform, capable of taking on board all people in the event of an accident:
Workers are transported to the station by helicopter. Fly hour:
Before the flight, everyone is instructed, and they fly in life jackets. If the water is cold, then wetsuits are also forced to wear:
As soon as the helicopter lands, 2 hoses are sent to it - they are very afraid of fires here:
Before entering the platform, all arriving passengers undergo a mandatory safety briefing. We had an extended briefing, since we got on the platform for the first time:
You can only move along LSP1 in helmets, work boots and jackets, but in the residential block you can even walk in slippers, which many people do:
The offshore platform is an object of increased danger, and security is given a lot of attention here:
There are lifeboats on the accommodation block and on LSP 1, each of which can accommodate 61 people. There are 4 such boats on residential LSP2 and 2 on LSP1, that is, all 118 people can easily fit on rescue equipment - this is not the Titanic for you:
Passengers from the ship are lifted on a special "elevator" that can accommodate 4 people at a time:
Every room on every deck has evacuation direction signs - red arrows on the floor:
All wires are neatly tucked away, low ceilings or steps are marked with red and white striped markings:
At the end of our tour, I learned that this platform was completely built by us. I was surprised, because I was sure that she was a "foreign car" - there is no smell of a scoop here. Everything is made very carefully and from high quality materials:
Since there are a lot of photos and information, I decided to break my story into 2 posts. Today I will talk about the residential block, and about the most interesting - about the wells and the production process - in the next post.
The captain himself led us along LSP2. The platform is a sea one, and the main thing here, as on a ship, is the captain:
There is a backup CPU (Central Control Panel) in the residential block. In general, all production control (oilmen emphasize O) is carried out from another control panel located on LSP1, and this one is used as a backup:
The working unit is clearly visible from the backup console window:
The captain's office, and behind the door on the left is his bedroom:
The bedspreads and colored linens are the only thing that is dissonant with the European appearance of the drilling rig:
All cabins were open, although their owners were on shift. There is no theft on the platform, and no one closes the doors:
Each cabin is equipped with its own bathroom with shower:
Engineer's office:
Platform Doctor. Basically sitting idle:
Local infirmary. The helicopter does not arrive every day, and in the "case of what" the patient can lie down here under the supervision of a doctor:
There are many girls working on the platform:
Before the dining room, everyone wash their hands:
The dining room had 4 lunch options to choose from:
I chose triangular dumplings "Goodbye Diet":
The stock of food and water allows the platform to exist autonomously for 15 days. Alcohol is strictly prohibited, as in the event of an emergency, all people must be in adequate condition.
All control of the Offshore Ice-Resistant Stationary Platform (OIRFP) takes place from the Central Control Panel (CPU):
The entire platform is crammed with sensors, and even if a worker lights a cigarette somewhere in the wrong place, the CPA will immediately know about it and, a little later, in the personnel department, which will prepare an order to dismiss this smart guy even before the helicopter delivers him to big land:
The upper deck is called the Trubnaya. Here candles are assembled from 2-3 drill pipes and the drilling process is controlled from here:
The pipe deck is the only place on the rig where there is even a hint of dirt. All other places on the platform are polished to a shine.
The big gray circle on the right is a new well that is currently being drilled. It takes about 2 months to drill each well:
I have already described the drilling process in detail in a post about how oil is produced:
Chief Driller. He has a chair on wheels with 4 monitors, a joystick and various other cool things. From this miracle chair, he controls the drilling process:
Pumps pumping mud at a pressure of 150 atmospheres. There are 2 working pumps and 1 spare on the platform (read about why they are needed and about the purpose of other devices in the article about how oil is produced
Sharoshka - chisel. It is she who is at the tip of the drill string:
With the help of the drilling fluid injected by the pumps from the previous photo, these teeth are spinning, and the gnawed rock is carried up with the spent drilling fluid:
At the moment, 3 oil, 1 gas and 1 water wells are already operating on this drilling platform. Another well is being drilled.
Only one well can be drilled at a time, and there will be 27 in total. Each well is from 2.5 to 7 kilometers long (not deep). The oil reservoir lies 1300 meters underground, so that all wells are horizontal and radiate like tentacles from the drilling site:
Well flow rate (that is, how much oil it pumps per hour) from 12 to 30 cubic meters:
In these separator cylinders, associated gas and water are separated from oil, and at the outlet after running through an oil treatment plant, which separates all impurities from oil, commercial oil is obtained:
An underwater pipeline 58 kilometers long was laid from the Platform to a floating oil storage facility installed outside the Caspian ice zone:
Oil is pumped into the pipeline by main pumps:
These compressors pump associated gas back into the reservoir to maintain reservoir pressure, which pushes oil to the surface, respectively, oil recovery becomes greater:
The water that has been separated from the oil is cleaned of mechanical impurities and returned back to the reservoir (the same water that was pumped out of the bowels)
Pumps of 160 atmospheres pump water back into the reservoir:
The platform has its own chemical laboratory, where all parameters of oil, associated gas and water are monitored:
The drilling rig is supplied with electricity by 4 turbines powered by associated gas with a total capacity of about 20 megawatts. In white boxes, turbines of 5 megawatts each:
If the turbines are cut off for any reason, the drilling rig will be powered by backup diesel generators:
The electrical panel occupies 2 floors:
Special boilers burn out the exhaust from the turbine and heat the residential complex with it. That is, even the exhaust, like a car from a muffler, is disposed of and zero pollutants enter the atmosphere:
We caught a rare moment when associated gas was simply burned on a flare boom, as at that time concrete was poured between the walls of the well and the casing, and in general, 98% of associated gas is used for own needs:
So we figured out how a stationary offshore drilling oil platform works.
