Rig: COSLInnovator

Statoil terminating rig contract

Statoil has, on behalf of the Troll licence, decided to use its contractual right to terminate the contract with COSL Offshore Management AS for the chartering of the mobile rig COSLInnovator. “The conditions for terminating the contract signed with COSL Offshore Management AS have in our opinion been met, and we therefore choose to use our contractual right to terminate the contract,” says Geir Tungesvik, Statoil’s senior vice president for drilling and well. In addition Statoil has decided to stop drilling operation with the sister rig COSLPromoter when it is safe to discontinue well operations. This is done in order to enable COSL to implement the necessary actions in order to fulfil the requirements of the contract. The decision may have some short-term consequences for planned drilling activities, but will not have impacts on long-term production on the Troll field. The plans made by the licence for gas and fluid production from the oil zone remain firm.

Fatality on board COSL rig

It is with great sadness that Statoil and COSL have received confirmed information from the police that one person has died as a result of the breaking wave that hit the drilling rig COSL Innovator today. Two other people were injured and are receiving medical treatment ashore. The rig is now heading to shore under its own power, while evacuation takes place. COSL and Statoil were notified at 5 pm on Wednesday 30 December that three people had been injured when a breaking wave hit COSL Innovator. Statoil and COSL have mobilized their emergency response organizations. COSL Innovator is under contract to Statoil at the Troll field in the North Sea, west of Bergen. The rig had been taken off the well as a result of the bad weather before the incident occurred. The breaking wave also caused some damage to the rig's accommodation module. The injured persons have been flown to shore by Sea King helicopter from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and by one of Statoil’s own rescue helicopters. Statoil is assisting COSL with evacuation of the rig down to the safety crew. Evacuees are being flown ashore.

Consent for drilling operations using COSLInnovator

Statoil Petroleum AS has received consent to use the COSLInnovator mobile drilling facility for drilling, completion, intervention, workover and well plugging on the Troll field. COSLInnovator is a semi-submersible drilling facility constructed at the Yantai Raffles Shipyard in China. The facility was issued with an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the PSA in 2012, and has been on contract to Statoil on the Troll field since then. The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has now granted Statoil consent for well operations in accordance with Statoil's application.

Statoil to use 'COSLInnovator' for Troll production drilling

Statoil Petroleum AS (Statoil) has received consent from the PSA to use the ‘COSLInnovator’ mobile drilling facility for production drilling on the Troll field using the Controlled Mud Level method. The consent covers the use of ‘COSLInnovator’ for production drilling on 8½" sections in well 31/2-L-22 on the Troll field using the Controlled Mud Level method. Statoil received consent to use ‘COSLInnovator’ for production drilling at Troll in June 2012. The consent will now be extended to cover use of the Controlled Mud Level method. Controlled Mud Level (also called Dual Gradient Drilling – DGD) is a new technology, which Statoil has tested as a pilot project in another production well at Troll. The company now wishes to perform a new pilot study in order to implement improvements and experiences from the first pilot, before widespread deployment of the technology. According to Statoil's application for consent, in time the Controlled Mud Level method will allow wells to be drilled in depleted reservoirs when it is no longer possible to drill using conventional methods.

PSA carries out safety check on 'COSLInnovator'

From 10th to 13th June 2014, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PAS) Norway carried out an audit of Statoil's use of managed pressure drilling using ‘COSL Innovator’ on the Troll field. The objective of the activity was to audit that Statoil, the service providers, drilling contractor and other stakeholders, were planning, performing, and garnering experience from, the MPD operations in accordance with their own requirements, regulatory provisions and defined standards. The audit identified one non-conformity in connection with a safety-critical barrier element.