Offshore staff
NOTODDEN, Norway — Aker BP has ordered five new Remotely Operated Controls Systems (ROCS) from Optime Subsea for development drilling projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The rental and service contract is for three years’ firm with options for two one-year extensions.
The five ROCS systems will operate on the Skarv Satellite projects in the Norwegian Sea, and Symra and Solveig Phase 2 (Utsira High) and Yggdrasil, both in the North Sea. In total, Aker BP expects to complete about 55 wells with the ROCS.
The five systems will feature the new OTHOS tubing hanger orientation system, said to deliver precise positioning of the tubing hanger, avoiding the need for time-consuming rig interface work.
According to Optime Subsea, the second-generation ROCS eliminates the need for the umbilical that traditionally connects the surface facility to the seabed for controlling the tubing hanger in subsea well completions, and also the associated topside hydraulic control unit.
Removing this equipment allows operators to reduce project capex, and the faster well completion operations that follow allow for shorter mobilization time and fewer rig days.
Sending less equipment offshore also reduces the environmental footprint and the amount of deck space required offshore. ROCS is also said to provide HSE benefits with fewer personnel needed in the red zone of the rig.
05.06.2024
