Photo: Transocean
Deepwater Atlas is the name of a powerful drillship claiming to be the first eighth-generation vessel of its kind, boasting an increased capacity that will lead to new performance records.
As their name suggests, drill ships are special-purpose vessels that drill deep inside the ocean beds. They are equipped with a crane-like structure that hoists and lowers the drilling apparatuses into and from the water. This equipment is meant to reach incredible depths, much over 3,000 meters (9,842 feet), and offshore drilling is generally considered a safer way of extracting oil and gas at sea compared to other types of vessels that were previously used, such as semi-submersible rigs.
According to Marine Insight, American naval engineers were the ones who pioneered drill ships in the 20th century for more efficient operations on the Pacific coastline. Since then, seven generations of drill ships have offered improved performance and safety, and now it’s time for the eighth-generation to take things to the next level.
Deepwater Atlas claims to be today’s highest-specification drill ship, marking the launch of a new generation of vessels. Built by Sembcorp Marine for Transocean, it boasts a hook-load hoisting capacity of 3 million pounds (1.3 million kg). It will also be the first that’s capable of integrating well-control systems for 20,000 psi (1,349 bar). The massive platform will operate at 12,000 feet (3,657 meters), drilling as deep as 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) into the ocean bed. It’s also large enough to accommodate a crew of 220.
In line with today’s environmental requirements, Deepwater Atlas was specifically designed for optimized fuel consumption, which will help lower carbon emissions. Transocean also claims to be operating the first rigs with hybrid-power systems that allow them to generate power that can be stored for later.
This next-generation drill ship will soon be followed by a sister ship called Deepwater Titan.
According to Marine Insight, American naval engineers were the ones who pioneered drill ships in the 20th century for more efficient operations on the Pacific coastline. Since then, seven generations of drill ships have offered improved performance and safety, and now it’s time for the eighth-generation to take things to the next level.
Deepwater Atlas claims to be today’s highest-specification drill ship, marking the launch of a new generation of vessels. Built by Sembcorp Marine for Transocean, it boasts a hook-load hoisting capacity of 3 million pounds (1.3 million kg). It will also be the first that’s capable of integrating well-control systems for 20,000 psi (1,349 bar). The massive platform will operate at 12,000 feet (3,657 meters), drilling as deep as 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) into the ocean bed. It’s also large enough to accommodate a crew of 220.
In line with today’s environmental requirements, Deepwater Atlas was specifically designed for optimized fuel consumption, which will help lower carbon emissions. Transocean also claims to be operating the first rigs with hybrid-power systems that allow them to generate power that can be stored for later.
This next-generation drill ship will soon be followed by a sister ship called Deepwater Titan.
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