NLIS 5
June 21, 2005
(Natural Resources)
The following is being distributed at the
request of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board:
Jack-ups rigs now permitted on
Grand Banks
Jack-up rigs are now permitted to drill wells on
the Grand Banks in the Newfoundland and Labrador offshore area at certain times
of the year.
Following last year�s board-sponsored seminar on ice and oil where recent
research about ice was shared with participants, the C-NLOPB began to assess the
feasibility of using such installations on a seasonal basis.
The board commissioned an historical review of previous years� ice patterns by
C-CORE to determine whether an "icefree" season exists. The C-CORE review
analyzed 44 years of ice data At the same time, the board conducted its own
study on jack-ups �specifically if the new generation jack-up was capable of
withstanding weather and water conditions common to the Grand Banks and meeting
guidelines established by the board.
"Based on both analyses," explained Fred Way, acting chair and CEO at the board,
"It appears a jack-up could be used on a seasonal basis on the Grand Banks.
While successful approval of a rig would depend on meeting all the requirements,
having another drilling option available to operators could lead to increased
exploration."
A jack-up rig had been used on the province�s west coast in the mid-90s and they
have been used off Nova Scotia for a number of years. This summer will mark the
first time a jack-up rig will be used to drill exploration wells on the Grand
Banks: Husky Energy has proposed using the Rowan Gorilla VI in the South Whale
Basin.
Media contact: Simone Keough APR, Manager, Communications, C-NLOPB,(709)
778-1418
C-NLOPB BACKGROUNDER
Jack-up Rig Policy Announcement
Since drilling began on the Grand Banks in the
1960s, jack-up rigs � which are less mobile than semi-submersibles or drill
ships, and require more time and stable weather conditions to demobilize � could
not be used for both safety and environmental protection reasons due to the
hazards from icebergs and pack ice.
Last year, C-NLOPB and C-CORE co-sponsored a workshop to share up-to-date
findings about ice and the Grand Banks. A general theme emerged indicating that
we now know much more about ice on the Grand Banks than we did just 20 years
ago. Some of the information includes documenting the frequency of ice and
icebergs on the Grand Banks.
Based on its own review of ice and iceberg frequency, the board was ready to
consider if rigs, other than semi-submersibles, might be able to operate on the
Grand Banks, at least for part of the year. C-CORE was engaged to analyze the
ice frequency data to identify an ice-free season. C-CORE analysed 44 years of
ice data.
At the same time, the board conducted its own review of jack-up rigs to ensure
the rigs were capable of meeting safety and environmental conservation
regulations and that the new generation of jack-up rig was capable of
withstanding weather and water conditions common to the Grand Banks.
Results of this review indicated that advancements in the design of jack-ups
over the past 30 years meant these units are now a possible option. Modern,
harsh environment, heavy weather jack-ups are capable of coping with the severe
meteorological and oceanographic conditions in this region. They are typically
capable of operating in water depths up to125 metres or more depending on the
type of unit and the design requirements of a proposed area of operations.
The board concluded that jack-up operations should be limited to the
non-iceberg/pack-ice season. The C-CORE report provides general parameters;
however, a key aspect to this new policy is that, each proposed drilling program
will be reviewed using the current year�s ice conditions. Moreover, while ice
plays a role determining when a program begins, weather patterns � fall and
winter storms � will play a role determining when a program ends.
The combination of better knowledge of ice conditions and ice management,
combined with technological advances in the rigs mean operators in the
Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore area now have additional options when
planning drilling programs.
C-CORE's ice reports referenced in this news release are available on the C-NLOPB
Web site at
2005 06 21
11:30 a.m. |