Repsol Uses Enhanced Drilling’s Riserless Mud Recovery System at Yme Field
Jack-up drilling and production facility Mærsk Inspirer and a wellhead module at the Yme field site in the North Sea, offshore Norway – Image Credit: Repsol via NPD (file photo)
Norwegian offshore drilling technology company Enhanced Drilling said Wednesday that Spanish Repsol had signed up to use its RMR Riserless Mud Recovery system in the Norwegian part of the North Sea in a multi-well deal due to start in May 2022.
“Repsol has turned a decommissioning project into a producing asset, where some of the existing infrastructure and design will be reused together with new facilities,” Enhanced drilling said, referring to the recent North Sea Yme field start-up.
“To help unlock the recoverable reserves at the Yme field, Enhanced Drilling’s zero-emissions RMR Riserless Mud Recovery system will be used together with the Cuttings Transport System to drill three top-holes section and three 17 ½” sections with mud returned to the rig without the use of a riser. The planned batch campaign will set all three top-holes concurrently,” Enhanced Drilling said.
©Enhanced Drilling
“By using the RMR system, not only can the engineered, weighted drilling fluid be used to mitigate any top-hole instability challenges, the system also enables the well to be monitored – a unique benefit in top-hole sections. Also, as all drilling fluid is returned to the rig, no fluid or chemicals are released during drilling – this provides protection to sea, saves operating cost and reduces the required mud volume compared to PAD (pump-and-dump) operations,” the company said.
Enhanced Drilling’s VP Sales & Marketing, Bernt Eikemo, said: “We are very pleased that Repsol has chosen our zero-emission RMR and Cuttings Transport System (CTS) solutions for this project. Overcoming top-hole instability can be a challenge, but, with over 1000 wells reached to date, our proven offshore technology not only helps create top-hole stability and associated cost savings, but also reduces emissions and discharge to sea during drilling.”
Repsol Norge is the operator of the Yme field with a 55% working interest. Partners in the Yme licence are Lotos Exploration and Production Norge AS (20% working interest), KUFPEC Norway ASA (10% working interest), and OKEA ASA (15% working interest).
