The Specification, Design and Construction of Rig 200

Abstract

A state-of-the-art mechanized drilling rig has been built to drill development wells on the West Tuna platform, Australia's first concrete gravity structure. This paper discusses how early attention to the design philosophy, effort in preparing the specification, early involvement of operations personnel, and close co-operation between Esso and AOWT during the rig design and fabrication resulted in a cost effective rig. The paper describes innovations to the base design of the pipe racking system and the integrated driller's cabin (from which equipment can be remotely controlled), and the use of techniques such as HAZOPs, human-machine interface and ergonomic studies. Special attention is paid to design enhancement on the rig floor.