Maersk Drilling's Maersk Gallant jackup drilling rig has beaten the record for drilling the deepest well on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The well, which reached a total depth of 5941m on 31 July, was on Total's Solaris ultra-high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) prospect, 315km west of Stavanger in 70m water depth.
Earlier this year, Total had said up to 1302 bar and 219 degrees Celsius could be expected at total depth on the well, which spudded in February.
The main objective is to examine the potential presence of hydrocarbons in the Jurassic Ula Formation. The secondary objective is to explore hydrocarbon potential in the Triassic Skagerrak Formation.
"We have broken a number of records during the Solaris operation. But this achievement is second to none. There was a lot of cheering in the driller's cabin that day," says Sadi Ozturk, Assistant Rig Manager on Mærsk Gallant. "The Solaris exploration well is one of the most challenging wells in the North Sea. All crew members are very excited about this achievement."
Maersk Drilling had to adapt the equipment on its 15,000 psi rated rig to drill a reservoir section where predicted pore pressures are well in excess of 15,000 psi.
The work resulted in the rig setting a number of records, says Maersk Drilling:
The crew on the Mærsk Gallant are now in the process of plugging and abandoning the well and expect to move the rig early September.