Trendsetter Vulcan Offshore (TVO) has deployed its proprietary Hercules tethered blowout preventer (TBOP) system to bring a shut-in well in the Gulf of America back into production, enabling a deepwater drilling rig to carry out a shallow-water workover operation.
The Houston-based offshore technology company said the project was carried out in the northwestern sector of the Gulf of America for an operator that had previously used the Hercules TBOP system.
The technology was developed to allow a deepwater floating rig equipped with a dynamic positioning (DP) system to operate safely in shallow waters, eliminating the need to mobilize a separate moored rig for well intervention activities.
According to TVO, the operator engaged the company during the planning stage of the project, outlining its intention to use a deepwater DP rig already working under a long-term contract to perform the shallow-water workover.
The approach avoided the additional costs associated with deploying a dedicated moored rig to the site.
According to TVO, its engineers modified the blowout preventer configuration to meet site requirements, rapidly designing and customizing the system and carrying out in-situ load testing, marking the first time such testing had been performed on site.
The installation proceeded as planned and enabled the deepwater DP rig to safely execute the well workover, the company said.
"Our TBOP technology is the foundation of innovative solutions installed globally, and we are continually refining functionality to meet the operator's precise needs.
"We work directly with energy companies to understand performance requirements so we can quickly tailor site-specific solutions," said Jim Maher, TVO’s President.