The environmental and cost impact of dynamic positioned versus anchor positioned semi submersibles on the Norwegian continental shelf

Abstract

This task is written as a part of my master’s degree in petroleum technology at the University of Stavanger. AGR is the largest well management company in Norway, drilling several exploration wells per year. For that reason, I established contact with AGR and the following discussions with AGR provided the opportunity to write my master thesis in collaboration with them. We concluded on a topic that they thought would be of great interest for the petroleum industry on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The topic involved environmental, cost and safety impact. This with regards to marine operations of exploration drilling with semi submersibles, the type of rig used most frequently on the NCS for exploration activity. AGR is the largest well management company in Norway, drilling several exploration wells per year. For that reason, I established contact with AGR and the following discussions with AGR provided the opportunity to write my master thesis in collaboration with them. We concluded on a topic that they thought would be of great interest for the petroleum industry on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The topic involved environmental, cost and safety impact. This with regards to marine operations of exploration drilling with semi submersibles, the type of rig used most frequently on the NCS for exploration activity.

The process of writing this thesis has been useful learning, as I have established many new contacts and gained a better understanding of which variables and risks that must be considered for keeping a rig in position.

I would like to express my appreciation to the following for their help in this thesis:

Drilling Superintendent Michael Simpson from AGR Prof. Arnfinn Nergaard at the University of Stavanger Tristein AS Ios Intermoor AS AGR and their entire team

Best Regards

Tone Lise Vidvei