Offshore drilling units

Technical report on jack up

By:
Majid hamedinia

First version April2009

Introduction

Natural oil leaks have been present since before the days of dinosaurs about 200 million years ago.
Lighter oils evaporate in air leaving behind the heavier oils in tar pits. People have used this
naturally occurring oil since the beginning of recorded human history. Oil can also be made from
animal fat, and it is not always clear whether mention of oil in ancient records refers to oil from the
ground or from animals.
Ancient Greek texts describe how they would pour oil onto the sea to set fire to their enemies'
fleets. The Bible refers to a thick form of oil called "Pitch" which was used to waterproof Noah's
ark and the baby Moses' basket. The American Indians also used pitch to waterproof canoes and
medicines. These examples are probably uses of oil from the ground.
The word Petroleum comes from the Greek word for rock and the Latin for oil or fat. It literally
means oil that comes from rock. Petra / petros (Greek) = rockoleum, (Latin) = oil / fat Crude oil
was pumped from the ground in Sichuan, China, 2500 years ago, but the history of oil wells as we
know them today is much younger.
A brief history starting in 347 A.D: 347 Oil wells are drilled in China up to 800 feet deep using bits
attached to bamboo poles. 1264 Mining of natural oil seeps in medieval Persia is witnessed by
Marco Polo on his travels through Baku. 1500s Seep oil collected in the Carpathian Mountains of
Poland is used to light street lamps. 1594 Oil wells are hand dug at Baku, Persia up to 35 meters
(115 feet) deep. 1735 Oil sands are mined and the oil extracted at Pechelbronn field in Alsace,
France. 1815 Oil is produced in United States as an undesirable by-product from brine wells in
Pennsylvania. 1848 First modern oil well is drilled in Asia, on the Aspheron Peninsula north-east of
Baku, by Russian engineer F.N. Semyenov. 1854 First oil wells in Europe are drilled 30- to 50meters deep at Bbrka, Poland by Ignacy Lukasiewicz. Oil historians in the USA give credit for the
first modern commercial oil well to Colonel Edwin L. Drake. His well reached a depth of 22m (72ft). It was drilled in Oil Creek near the town of Titusville, slightly east of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, USA and started producing oil on August 28, 1859. There were no automobiles in
those days; the main market for petroleum was for medicine. It was called Rock Oil and sold for
about $40 a barrel, which is about the same as a barrel of oil costs today, so it would have been
worth a lot of money in 1859. There are several other claims for the first oil well, including a well
drilled in 1858 in Wietze, Germany.
Iranian called it "Well Number One". A sign proudly proclaims the spot where the first middleeastern oil was discovered 100 years ago. The oil derrick is still there - it produced oil for 70 years.
The town itself - Masjid e Suleiman - in south west Iran, is still an oil town. The countryside is

criss-crossed with the pipelines that bring oil from each wellhead to the refinery or the export
terminal. But much else has changed. For nearly 50 years the Iranian oil industry was controlled by
the British Anglo-Persian Oil company. You can still see the names of British companies on some
of the older plant. But the British only paid $75,000 (40,000) for the original 60-year concession and a small share of the profits. To this day, that is the source of enormous bitterness in Iran. British
presence "No fair British person can be proud of that part of the history of the UK in Iran".
Iran still provides nearly 5% of the world's oil needs. It is strange then, that an industry of such
global importance should be so isolated.
The first offshore oil well was in the bayous (swamps) of Louisiana, USA during the 1950s. The
first drilling in open sea was done in 1955 for Shell Oil in the Gulf of Mexico just south of New
Orleans. This used a barge with a drill rig attached named Mr. Charlie", which continued to drill in
the Gulf of Mexico for 32 years. Whit

How to exploit

Drilling for oil requires extensive planning and a good amount of capital to invest. The project will
require you to work with contractors, financiers, land owners, geologists and engineers. All
activities for exploitation of oil can be mentioned in some steps.
The oil is found in the reservoir rock under the ground several hundred meters down. The most
conventional conformation in which oil is found is called the folding movement where the earth has
moved inward to form an upward fold. To find oil, geologists are hired who are experts in analyzing
surface texture, features, soil types and core samples. The geologists also employ different high
technology instruments for example, magnetometer, gravity meters, seismic instruments using
shock wave technology, and satellite pictures to find flowing oil under the rocks of the Earth.
When geologists determine a good site it is surveyed for boundaries and environmental studies.
Lease is signed and the legal right to the land is obtained from the local authorities.
A reserve pit is made for the debris coming out from the drilling. The land is prepared for the rig
and cleared off of trees and vegetations. Several holes are made for the rig to fit in. A conductor
pipe is made which is the top portion of the main hole and is larger in diameter than the rest of the
hole.
Once the oil rig is installed, it is connected with several other components. These components
guarantee the normal functioning of the equipment and safety in case of unexpected pressure release
from the bottom of the soil. The hole is dug and casing is installed around it to prevent it from
collapsing.

When the oil sand is reached from the reservoir rock, it is analyzed for core sampling, pressure and
quality of reservoir rock. A device called a perforating gun is inserted to extract the oil from the
well, once the desired depth is reached. When the oil starts flowing in the well, the rig is removed
and the oil production equipment is installed to extract the oil.
But what we wrote was about drilling in land, Drilling for oil in the ocean is one of the greatest
technological breakthroughs in recent decades, and many new techniques have been developed to
profit from the abundance of oil underneath the ocean floor. While drilling for oil has been around
for hundreds of years in one form or another, the effective extraction of petroleum from beneath the
sea floor did not surface until the last forty years. Whit regard to oil place, land or sea, there are
different type of drilling rig. On the continuation of this article we will write about offshore drilling
individually.

Types of Drilling Rigs

A drilling rig is a structure housing equipment used to drill for water, oil, natural gas from
underground reservoirs or to obtain mineral core samples. The term can refer to a land-based rig, a
marine-based structure commonly called an 'offshore rig' or a structure that drills oil wells called an
'oil rig'. The term correctly refers to the equipment that drills oil wells or extracts mineral samples,
including the rig derrick (which looks like a metal frame tower).
Sometimes a drilling rig is also used to complete (prepare for production) an oil well. However, the
rig itself is not involved with the extraction of the oil; its primary function is to make a hole in the
ground so that the oil can be produced. Laypeople may refer to the structure which sits on top
offshore wells as a 'rig', but this is not correct. The correct name for the structure in a marine
environment is platform. A structure upon which wells produce is a production platform. A floating
vessel upon which a drilling rig sits is a floating rig or semi-submersible rig because the whole
purpose of the structure is for drilling. Drilling rigs can be small and portable such as those used in
mineral exploration drilling, or huge, capable of drilling through thousands of meters of the Earth's
crust; large "mud pumps" are used to circulate drilling mud (slurry) through the drill bit and the
casing, for cooling and removing the "cuttings" whilst a well is drilled; hoists in the rig can lift
thousands of tons of pipe; other equipment can force acid or sand into reservoirs to facilitate
extraction of the oil or mineral sample; and permanent living accommodation and catering for crews
which may be greater than a hundred people in number. Marine rigs may operate many hundreds of
miles or kilometers offshore with infrequent crew rotation. With regard to the below picture we can

understand there are different type of rigs. But in this article we want to focus on offshore rig and
jack up individually.

All type of rigs (land and offshore rigs).1

History
Until the advent of internal combustion engines in the late 19th century, the primary method for
drilling rock involved muscle power be it human or animal. Rods were turned by hand, using
clamps attached to the rod. The rope and drop method invented in China utilized a steel rod or
piston raised and dropped vertically via a rope. Mechanized versions of this persisted until about
1970, utilizing a cam to rapidly raise and drop what, by then, was a steel cable.
In the 1970s, outside of the oil and gas industry, roller bits utilizing mud circulation were replaced
by the first efficient pneumatic reciprocating piston RC drills, and became essentially obsolete for
the majority of shallow drilling, and are now only used in certain situations where rocks preclude
other methods. RC drilling proved much faster and efficient, and continues to improve with better
metallurgy deriving harder, more durable bits, and compressors delivering higher air pressures at

higher volumes, enabling deeper and faster penetration. Diamond drilling has remained essentially
unchanged since its inception.

Drilling rig classification

There are many types and designs of drilling rigs, depending on their purpose and improvements;
many drilling rigs are capable of switching or combining different drilling technologies.
1) By power used
Electric - rig is connected to a power grid usually produced by its own generators,
Mechanic - rig produces power with its own (diesel) engines, hydraulic - most movements are done
with hydraulic power, pneumatic - pressured air is used to generate small scale movements
2) By pipe used
Cable - a cable is used to slam the bit on the rock (used for small geotechnical wells)
Conventional - uses drill pipes
Coil tubing - uses a giant coil of tube and a down hole drilling motor
3) By height
Single - can drill only single drill pipes, has no vertical pipe racks (most small drilling rigs)
Double - can store double pipe stands in the pipe rack
Triple - can store stands composed of three pipes in the pipe rack (most large drilling rigs)
Quad - can store stands composed of four pipes in the pipe rack
4) By method of rotation
No rotation (most service rigs)
Rotary table - rotation is achieved by turning a square pipe (the Kelly) at drill floor level.

Top-drive - rotation and circulation is done at the top of the drill string, on a motor that moves along
the derrick.
5) By position of derrick
Conventional - derrick is vertical
Slant - derrick is at an angle (this is used to achieve deviation without an expensive down hole
motor)
Offshore Drilling rigs
Drilling rigs are designed to meet specific operation requirement, therefore, different rigs have
different capabilities. All offshore rigs perform the basic function of drilling a hole or well in
submerged lands that means of rotary drilling. This procedure provides the method of exploring for
or producing oil and gas from earth formation. Offshore drilling rigs can be classified into two
major groups: floating and stationary.
Floating rigs: floating rigs are those rigs which rely upon an anchoring or positioning system to
keep them over the drilling location. These rigs are usually self propelled and normally used for
exploratory drilling. We can assume drill ships and semi submersibles in this type of rigs.
Drill ship:

These look like ordinary ships but have a derrick on top which drills through a hole in the
hull. Drill ships are either anchored or positioned with computer-controlled propellers
along the hull which continually correct the ships drift. On the other word, Drill ship is a
maritime vessel that has been fitted with drilling apparatus. It is most often used for
exploratory drilling of new oil or gas wells in deep water but can also be used for
scientific drilling. It is often built on a modified tanker hull and outfitted with a dynamic
positioning system to maintain its position over the well. The two basic type of drill ships
are the barge type and the self-propelled type, or non-self-propelled drill ships must be
towed into position above drilling site. Self-propelled type drill ships are capable of
movement under their own power and do not require towing. Drill ships employ two basic
method of station keeping to maintain their position above drilling sites. Drill ships that

use a conventional anchoring system utilized a series of anchor that fan out from the bow
and stern of the ship and are set into the sea floor.
Drill ships that are dynamically positioned keep their position above the drill sites by
using bow and stern thrusters that are computer controlled.

The latest drill ship of Samsung co.

Drilling unit with barge type.3

Semi submersibles:
Semis, as they are called, are also used to drill single exploratory wells. The majority of semis are
towed to their drilling location, although some of the more recent models are self propelled. The

basic deck configurations range from triangular to pentagonal and utilized anywhere from three to
over ten legs for support. The legs are attached to hulls or pontoons that can be flooded. The
primary advantage of semis over drill ship is their height degree of stability in rough weather. Semis
utilized a spread anchoring system of radial space anchors to hold their position. The spread of
anchors is dependent upon anticipated wind and sea condition. Then, these types have hulls,
columns and pontoons, for sufficient buoyancy to cause the structure to float, but of weight
sufficient to keep the structure upright. Semi-submersible can be moved from place to place; can be
ballasted up or down by altering the amount of flooding in buoyancy tanks; they are generally
anchored by combinations of chain, wire rope and/or polyester rope during drilling and/or
production operations, though they can also be kept in place by the use of dynamic positioning.
Semi-submersibles can be used in water depths from 200 to 10,000 feet (60 to 3,050 m).

Diagram of Semi submersibles.4

Semi submersibles.5

As mentioned above all type of floating rigs use anchor for positioning and keeping their locations.
On the continuation of this part we will present anchor and the most important topics related to that.

Anchor:

Device cast overboard to secure a ship, boat, or other floating object by means of weight, friction,
or hooks called anchor. In ancient times an anchor was often merely a large stone, a bag or basket
of stones, a bag of sand, or, as with the Egyptians, a lead-weighted log. The Greeks are credited
with the first use of iron anchors, while the Romans had metal devices with arms similar to modern
anchors. The ordinary modern anchor consists of:
The shank is the stem of the anchor in which direction is pulled to set (bury) the anchor.
The crown connects the various parts of the modern anchor.
The stock turns the anchor into an attitude that enables the flukes to dig into the sea bed.
The tripping ring is used for the optional tripping line: by pulling the tripping line, the
anchor will break out.
The flukes will be buried into the seabed. The very tip of a fluke is sometimes called the bill.

In the below picture, anchors parts are showed.

Semi submersibles.6

Anchor type:

There is some most important kind of anchor:

Mushroom type: The mushroom anchor is suitable where the seabed is composed of fine sand
or soft mud. It is shaped like a mushroom. It is a bit better than a simple weight, but not as
good as a temporary anchor design of the same weight. This type of anchor can be as light as
10 pounds or as heavy as several tons. They must be allowed to set by sinking over a long
time.

Mushroom anchor.7

Hall type: The stockless anchor which was patented in England in 1821 came into wide use
principally because of its ease of handling and stowing. The crown, arms, and flukes of a
stockless anchor are cast in one piece and can pivot slightly from side to side on the shank.
The flukes are long and heavy, and have projecting shoulders at their base that catch on the
seabed. As more drag is exerted, the shoulders force the flukes downward into the bottom.

Stockless anchors have replaced the older stock anchor on most of the large ships of the
world.

Hall type anchor.8

Several other types of anchors are in common use. Lightweight, Danforth, and plow anchors
have long, sharp flukes that pivot around a stock at the bottom of the shank and bury
themselves deeply into the bottom; these anchors are generally used for yachts and other
small craft.

How to choose an anchor:

To select an anchor, choice on three points will be done:

1- PRICE: Your anchor is your best insurance and, like your insurance, it seems expensive
only before the accident occurs. When the weather deteriorates and your boat drags towards
the rocks, it is too late to regret the tens of pounds saved on the purchase price. If your boat
is tossed on the shore, then the cost may well be thousands of pounds. Security and quiet
nights at anchor don't have a price.
2- WEIGHT: The weight of your anchor has almost no relation to the holding. Holding is
related to :
9 The stability of your anchor
9 Its surface area

9 The shape of the holding surface

All recent tests have proved that aluminum anchors have the same holding as steel anchors of the
same size (Practical Sailor, Bateaux, Voiles magazine.)
However, weight is very important for the penetration of the anchor. If you choose a light (i.e.
aluminum) anchor, then favor stable models, those with a penetrating angle like a chisel and those
with a heavily weighted tip.
3- EFFICIENCY: Efficiency of an anchor is a function of both penetration and holding.
To ensure good holding, an anchor must first penetrate regardless of the sea bottom type, as quickly
and deeply as possible. Once set, the anchor must not break free regardless of weather conditions.
This is a function of anchor stability and the shape and size of the holding surface.

Stationary rigs:
Stationary drilling rigs, as defined by their name, are affixed to the ocean floor by some type of
legs. Some stationary rigs are moveable; however, during drilling operation, they dont encounter
the oceans movement because their drilling platforms are positioned above the water line.
Stationary rigs are used both for exploration and production of oil and gas fields. There are three
important type of stationary rigs; fixed platform, platform tender and jack up. In this article ewe will
engage in jack up more than the two others.

Fixed platform:
A fixed Platform is a type of offshore platform used for the production of oil or gas. These
platforms are built on concrete and/or steel legs anchored directly onto the seabed, supporting a
deck with space for drilling rigs, production facilities and crew quarters. Such platforms are, by
virtue of their immobility, designed for very long term use. Various types of structure are used, steel
jacket, concrete caisson, floating steel and even floating concrete. Steel jackets are vertical sections
made of tubular steel members, and are usually piled into the seabed. Concrete caisson structures,
pioneered by the Condeep concept, often have in-built oil storage in tanks below the sea surface and
these tanks were often used as a flotation capability, allowing them to be built close to shore
(Norwegian fjords and Scottish firths are popular because they are sheltered and deep enough) and
then floated to their final position where they are sunk to the seabed. Fixed platforms are
economically feasible for installation in water depths up to about 1,700 feet (520 m).

ChevronTexaco's Genesis.9

Courtesy Statoil platform.10

Platform tenders:
Platform tenders, as the name implies, serve to support a fixed platform drilling operation. Unlike a
full scale platform operation, the support equipment such as the mud pumps, bulk material storage
container and crew quarter are located aboard the tender rather than mounted onboard the platform.
Physically connection between the platform and the tender is maintained by means of bow ramp, or
a thing similar to that. Tubular goods such as drill pipes and casing are stored aboard the tender and

transferred as needed to the plat form. Pedestal cranes are provided aboard the tender for this
purpose as well as for personal transfer.

Diagram showing basic area of a platform tender.11

Gas platform and tender in Mobile Bay.12

Jack up:
If you glance at statistical report, you can find about 30% of oil and gas wells hone been dug by
jack up, and this clearers importance of jack up drilling rigs and their influence.
Most of the worlds offshore drilling in water depths up to 120m is performed from selfelevating
mobile units, commonly known as jack-ups. Typical units consist of a buoyant triangular platform
resting on three independent truss-work legs, with the weight of the deck and equipment more or
less equally distributed. A rack and pinion system is used to jack the legs up and down through the
deck. Jack-ups are towed to site floating on the hull with the legs elevated out of the water. On
location, the legs are lowered to the sea-bed, where they continue to be jacked until adequate
bearing capacity exists for the hull to climb out of the water. The foundations are then pre-loaded by
pumping sea-water into ballast tanks in the hull. This proof tests the foundations by exposing
them to a larger vertical load than would be expected during service. The ballast tanks are emptied
before operations on the jack-up begin. It is usual for the total combined pre-load (i.e. jack-up mass
and sea-water) to be about double the mass of the jack-up.
A Jack Up is an offshore structure composed of a hull, legs and a lifting system that allows it to be
towed to a site, lower its legs into the seabed and elevate its hull to provide a stable work deck
capable of withstanding the environmental loads.
A typical modern drilling Jack Up is capable of working in harsh environments (Wave Heights up
to 80 ft, Wind Speeds in excess of 100 knots) in water depths up to 500 feet. Because Jack Ups are
supported by the seabed, they are preloaded when they first arrive at a site to simulate the maximum
expected leg loads and ensure that, after they are Jacked to full air gap and experience operating and
environmental loads, the supporting soil will provide a reliable foundation.

A jack up rig under way.13

PURPOSE AND DISCLAIMER

Jack up unit is complex structures used offshore in many modes of operation. When using a
particular unit at a given site, it is important to be aware and understand the basics behind the
different designs under different conditions. The focus of this article is a simplified discussion of
the various sensitivities of Jack Ups while in the different modes of operation. It is hoped that by
increasing the understanding of how Jack Ups work and behave as well as the sources of the loads
acting on them, those making decisions with limited information will be better equipped to respond
to incidents and reduce their occurrence and/or consequences. Though there are many variations in
design and purposes for Jack Ups, this article focuses many of these discussions on three-legged
Units used for drilling the article starts by presenting some background and discussions of the
basics of Jack Up components analyses. This is followed by sections on Jack up Components and
Configurations, modes of operation, differences between Class approval and site specific
assessment, basic analysis, and a discussion of competing aspects of Jack up design.

 History of jack up
The earliest reference to a jack-up platform is in the description of a United States patent
application filed by Samuel Lewis in 1869 (Veldman and Lagers, 1997). It wasnt until 85 years
later in 1954 that Delong McDermott No. 1 became the first unit to utilize the jack-up principle for
offshore drilling. Delong McDermott No. 1 was a conversion of one of the successful Delong
Docks: a pontoon with a number of tubular legs which could be moved up and down through cutouts in the pontoon. The Delong Docks, which were mostly used as mobile wharves for industrial
purposes during the 1940s, could be towed into location with their legs drawn up. Once in position
their legs could be lowered and the pontoon elevated off the water using the same principle as the
modern jack-up. Interestingly, Delong Docks were used in World War II as mobile docks by the
United States Army after the invasion of Normandy and before the major harbours of Western
Europe were liberated (Veldman and Lagers, 1997). Like many of the early jack-ups to follow,
Delong McDermott No. 1 resembled a standard drilling barge with attached legs and jacks, which
were often many in numbers. In 1956 R.G. LeTourneau, a former entrepreneur in earthmoving
equipment (Ackland, 1949), revolutionised the design of jack-ups by reducing the number of legs to
three (Stiff et al., 1997). Another innovative design change was the electrically driven rack and
pinion jacking system which allowed for continuous motion in any jacking operation. This replaced
gripper jacks where slippage often occurred on the smooth leg surface (Veldman and Lagers,
1997). Both revolutionary features are common on todays rigs. Zepatas Scorpian, used in water
depths up to 25 m in the Gulf of Mexico, was the first of many operated by the company Marathon
LeTourneau. They dominated early jack-up design during the 1960s and 1970s with rigs of
increasing size. Since their first employment, jack-ups have continued to be used in deeper waters
(Carlsen et al., 1986). Other companies, including Bethlehem, Friede and Goldman,
MarineStructures Consultants and Mitsui have contributed to the rise in water depth capacity
(Veldman and Lagers, 1997). This development is continuing with some of the largest units being
used in about 120m of water in the relatively harsh North Sea environment (Hambly and Nicholson,
1991; Veldman and Lagers, 1997). Furthermore, jack-ups are now operating for extended periods at
one location, often in the role of a production unit (Bennett and Sharples, 1987). An example of the
long-term use of jack-ups is in the Siri marginal field development in the Danish sector of the North
Sea. A purpose built jack-up is being used in 60 m water depths as a production platform with an
expected life of ten years (Baerheim et al., 1997). A further example is the Shearwater
development, where jack-up drilling is planned to continue for two and a half years at a 90 m water
depth in the Northern North Sea (Offshore Technology, 1999).

 background

Jack up Unit has been a part of the Offshore Oil Industry exploration fleet since the 1950s. They
have been used for exploration drilling, tender assisted drilling, production, accommodation, and
work/maintenance platforms. As with every innovative technology, Jack Up Units have been used
to their operational and design limitations. These limitations include deck load carrying limits when
afloat, load carrying capabilities when elevated, environmental limits, drilling limits, and soil
(foundation) limits. The reasons for pushing these limits include the desire to explore deeper waters,
deeper reservoirs in harsher environments, and in areas where soils and foundations may be
challenging or even unstable. Into this area of expanding Jack up Units capabilities, Industry
Groups, Classification Societies, and Flag States have involved themselves in an attempt to
Regulate, Codify, and Unify the criteria used to gauge a Jack up Units capabilities. Without a
thorough knowledge of the background of these Regulatory efforts and the science that these efforts
rely upon, the average Offshore Industry professional is given practically no useful tools when it
comes time to assess, understand, and select a Jack Up Unit to fulfill a particular task or Mission
Statement. An often time, a thorough understanding of Jack up unit capabilities and sensitivities
prevents or minimizes the consequences of unexpected incidents. This section of article is an
attempt to assist such individual in understanding the Regulations, science and engineering
principles behind a Jack up Units design and to assist that individual in answering the following
questions:
9 What are the components of a Jack up Unit and what are their functions?
9 What are the relative pros and cons of different types of Jack ups and their features?
9 How does the arrangement of a Jack Up affect its function and capability?
9 What are the loads on a Jack Up, what impact do they have, and how are they
evaluated?
9 Who are the parties involved in the Jack up from design through operation, and what
are their roles?
9 How do I select a suitable Jack up unit for my particular application?

Some useful definition

Some simple definitions will be useful and necessary, before of jack up rigs topic.

9 Gin Pole - An A frame structure located at the top of standard derricks used to list and
lower the crown block into position.
9 Crown Block - A series of sheaves affixed in the top of the derrick used to change the
direction of pull from the draw works to the traveling block.
9 Derrick - Vertical structure that allows vertical clearance and strength to raise and lower
the drill string. This structure with-stands two types of loading: compressive loading and
wind loading.
9 Stand - A stand generally consists of two to four joints of made-up drill pipe. The stand is
generally used when running or pulling the drill string in and out of the hole.
9 Monkey board - (Stabbing board) the platform on which the derrick man works when
tripping pipe.
9 Racking Fingers - Fingers or members where the stands are racked and secured while
tripping pipe.
9 A Frame - The A frame structure on a jackknife used to raise and lower the mast. It
also supports the derrick in the raised position.
9 Bull line and Sheaves - The large line and sheaves located on the A frame of a jackknife
used to raise and lower the derrick.
9 Traveling Block - The block and tackle which is rigged with the crown block by multiples
of drilling line strung between the crown block and the traveling block.
9 Swivel - That part of the drill sting which connects the rotary hose to the drill string and
allows circulation and rotation at the same time.
9 Kelly - The square or hexagonal member at the upper most part of the drill string
(immediately below the swivel) that passes through a properly fitting bushing known as the
Kelly bushing or drive bushing. The drive bushing transmits rotary motion to the kelly
which results in the turning of the drill string.
9 Kelly Bushing/Drive Bushing - That bushing which fits inside the rotary bushing and
transmits rotary torque to the Kelly.
9 Rotary Bushing - The bushing that fits inside of the rotary table opening. This is where the
drill pipe and collar slips seat when the drill string is suspended from the rotary table for
connections or tripping pipe.
9 Rotary - Transmits the rotary motion or torque from the power source to the drive bushing.
9 Kelly Cock - Safety valves located above and/or below the Kelly. These valves are of a
ball type and must be manually operated. Their primary purpose is to prevent flow up the
drill string in case of emergencies. A third Kelly cock is generally kept on the drill floor to

be used in the drill string in the event flow up the drill string occurs while making a
connection or tripping pipe. (Federal leases, USGS, requires two Kelly cock valves- above
and below the Kelly- and a third one on the drill floor in the opened position.) A secondary
use of the Kelly cock valve below the Kelly is to prevent the loss of mud from the Kelly
while making a connection. This should be discouraged to prevent wear on the Kelly cock
valve.
9 Inside POB Valve - This valve is also used to prevent flow up the drill string when the well
kicks and a connection or tripping operations are under way. This valve operates like a
check valve and is always kept in open position on the rig floor. This valve is required to
be on the rig floor in the open position for Federal leases.
9 Kelly Saver Sub - A sub located blow the lower kelly cock valve. The function of this sub
is to prevent wear on the kellys threads and to centralize the kelly by means of a rubber
protector, thus preventing wear on the kellys hexagonal or square shape.
9 Elevators - The elevators are used for latching on to the tool joint or lift sub of the drill
pipe or drill collars. This enables the lifting and lowering of the drill string while making a
trip. The elevators are connected to the hoisting system (traveling block) by means of bails.
9 Bails - The bails connect the traveling block and elevators. They are solid steel bars with
eyes at both ends
9 Hook - The hook is located beneath the traveling block. This device is used to pick up and
secure the swivel and kelly.
9 Slips - Latch around the drill pipe and seat in the rotary bushing in the rotary table. The
slips support and transmit the weight of the drill string to the rotary table while making a
connection or tripping pipe.
9 Draw works - The principal parts of the draw works are the drum, the drum brakes,
transmission, and cathead. The principal function is to convert the power source into a
hoisting operation and provide braking capacity to stop and sustain the weights imposed
when lowering or raising the drill string.
A. the drum is housed in the draw works and transmits the torque required for
hoisting and braking. It is also used as a hoisting device for heavy equipment on the
drill floor.
B. This is done by wrapping the catline (catline is generally made of rope and is
connected to a piece of chain used to tie on to equipment) around the lifting
head. The number of turns of rope on the head and the tension provided by the
operator controls the force of the pull.

C. The draw works contains all of the controls to divert the rig power to needed
operations.
9 V-Door Ramp - The ramp which connects the V door to the cat walk.
9 Sand line -The sand line is a small draw works system. The line is generally used for
running surveys or fishing for lost surveys. These units are usually integral parts of the
draw works.
9 Kelly Spinner - A pneumatic operated spinner located above the kelly. It is used to spin the
kelly to make up tool joints when making connections. The kelly spinner can generally
spin clockwise to speed up connections.
9 Tongs - Large wrench-like devices that are used to tighten up and break out tool joints or
connections. The tongs are connected to the break out and make up catheads. Hydraulic
tongs are generally used to make up casing and tubing, deriving power from a hydraulic
unit.
9 Auxiliary Brakes - The draw works generally have two braking systems; the band-type
brakes on the draw works drum, and the auxiliary brakes. The auxiliary brakes are used
only when going in the hole on a trip. These are used to prevent burning the band-type
brakes. The auxiliary brakes are of two types: hydro-dynamic or electromagnetic
9 Deadline Reel and Clamp - The drilling line strung through the traveling block and to the
draw works is secured by the deadline, which is wrapped around the deadline reel and
clamped. This prevents the line from slipping and the traveling block from falling.
9 Mud Pumps - Mud pumps are used for circulating the drilling fluid down the drill pipe and
out of the annulus. These are high-pressure and high-volume pumps. They can be doubleacting duplex pumps or single-acting triplex pumps.
A: The double-acting duplex pump has four pumping actions per pump cycle.
B: The single-acting triplex pump has three pumping actions per pump cycle.
9 Shale Shaker - The shale shaker is a contaminant removing device. It is used to remove
the coarser drill cuttings from the mud. This is generally the first solids-removing
device and is located at the end of the flow line. The shale shaker is composed of one
or more vibrating screens though which mud returns pass.
9 Desander - Desilter- The desander and desilters are for contaminant or solids removal
purposes. These devices separate sand-size particles from the drilling mud. Both
devices operate like a hydrocyclone. The mud is pumped in at the top of the cyclone.
This causes the mud stream to hit the vortex finder which forces the mud down the

cyclone in a whirling fashion towards the apex of the cyclone. The heavier particles are
forced outward faster than the smaller particles. The heavier particles on the outside of
the whirling fluid are deposited out of the apex while the much smaller particles follow
the path of the liquid and reverse their path in the center and flow out of the cyclone
through the vortex finder. If used as a desander or desilter, the waste product is
deposited at the bottom and the fluid moving trough the vortex finder is returned to the
active system. If used as a clay ejector, the under-flow contains barite particles which
are returned to the mud system, while the fluid moving out of the vortex is deposited as
waste.
9 Degasser - This vessel is used for gas contamination removal. It consists of a vessel
which has inclined flat surfaces in thin layers and a vacuum pump. The mud is allowed
to flow over the inclined thin layers which help break out entrained gas in the mud. The
vacuum pump reduces the pressure in the vessel to about 5 psi which extracts the gas
from the mud. This device is about 99% efficient.
9 Mud Gas Separator - This is generally the first device available to extract gas from the
mud. It consists of a tower with baffle plates, which are flat plates that force the fluid
through a certain path. The mud is allowed to flow in the tower over the baffle plates
which separate some of the entrained gas. This device generally can extract 50% to
60% of the gas.
9 The accumulator is a hydraulic system that maintains and stores enough high-pressured
fluid to operate every function of the blow-out preventors (BOPs) at least once and
still have a reasonable reserve, as defined by the governing agency rules. The system
has a pump which pumps the hydraulic fluid into storage bottles. The storage bottles
have floats which separate the hydraulic fluid from the gas (nitrogen) in the upper part
of the chamber. As fluid is pumped into the chamber bottles, the gas is compressed,
resulting in the pressure needed to move the hydraulic fluid to operate the BOPs.
9 Bag-Type Preventers (Annular Preventers) this preventer is used the most because the
rubber sealing element can conform to any shape or size conduit in the hole. The
annular preventer can further collapse completely and seal the annulus with no conduit
to the hole. (This is not recommended.) The annular preventers consist of a rubbercovered, metal-ribbed sealing element. This element is caused to collapse and seal by
allowing the pressurized hydraulic fluid from the accumulator to move a tapered, formfitted cylinder against the rubber which causes collapse.

9 Ram Preventers - This type BOP is used mainly as a backup to the bag-type preventer
or for high-pressure situations.
A. The pipe rams have two rams on opposite sides that close by moving
towards one another. The ram themselves have semicircular openings which
match the diameter of pipe being used. Each different size pipe requires
correctly sized rams.
B. If a tapered string is being used to drill a well, such as a 5 drill pipe and a
3-1/2 drill pipe, then two ram-type preventers must generally be used. This
type preventer cannot allow the pipe to be worked through it.
C. The blind rams do have the semicircular opening of the pipe rams. Instead,
the front surface of the blind rams is flat, and they can only be used to seal
the annulus when there is no pipe in the hole.
D. The shear blind rams are designed to cut through the drill pipe and seal the
hole. this type of preventer should only be used as a last resort.
9 Diverter System - The diverter system is used in conjunction with the annular preventer to
divert the path of mud flow either overboard or through the mud gas separation facilities.
This system is generally only used when drilling at shallow depths where the formation has
a weak fracture gradient. This system generally consists of a drilling spool with two 4
outlets. Attached to the outlets is a valve or valves which connect to a line leading away
from the rig.
9 Choke Manifold- This is a system of valves and lines which are attached to the choke line,
and in some cases, kill line. The manifold is used to help control a well that has kicked by
diverting the flow to various functions such as an adjustable choke. It is designed for
versatility in diverting the mud flow after experiencing a kick.
9 Adjustable Choke - The adjustable choke is usually hydraulically controlled from a remote
panel located on the rig floor. The purpose of the adjustable choke is to hold the correct back
pressure on a well when controlling a kick so as not to allow any more formation fluid into
the hole and/or prevent breaking the formation down while controlling the well.
9 HCR Valve - the HCR valve is a hydraulically operated gate valve. This valve is used on
diverter systems and chokes lines leading from the blow out preventers. The advantage of
the valve is that it can be operated remotely.
9 Float - The float is a check valve run in a special sub in the bottomhole assembly. It prevents
any back-flow up the drill pipe. This should be run in shallow drilling operations to help
control shallow kicks.

9 Mouse Hole - A section of steel casing that extends below the rig floor where drill pipe is
placed to be made up in the drill string or to the kelly. It is further used in laying down drill
pipe. The joint of drill pipe is broken off in the mouse hole, picked up with the sir hoist or
catline, and moved out the V-door down to the catwalk.
9 Drill Collars - The drill collars are thick-walled heavy steel tubulars used to apply weight to
the bit. The drill collars should take all of the compressive loading, leaving the drill pipe in
tension.
9 Drill Pipe - The major part of the drill string is composed of drill pipe. Drill pipe is hotrolled, pierced, seamless tubing. Drill pipe is specified by its outside diameter, weight per
foot, steel grade, and range (length). The drill pipe transmits rotation, vertical movement and
drilling fluid to the bit.
9 Heavyweight Drill Pipe - Thick-walled heavy drill pipe is used in lieu of drill collars. It is
generally used in high-angled well where too many drill collars hamper drilling operations.
9 Standpipe - The standpipe is that pipe which carries mud from the rig floor into the derrick
to the kelly hose. It must be pressure-tested to the working pressure of the BOPs.
9 Kelly Hose - The kelly hose is a section of high-pressured hose connecting the standpipe
and the swivel. The kelly hose allows for the vertical movement of the drill string as well as
circulation of fluid down the drill string.
9 Substructure - the substructure provides the support for the derrick and derrick loading. It
also provides the necessary clearance beneath the rig floor for the preventor stack.
9 Cat Walk - The cat walk is where the pipe is laid down from the drill floor. Any elevated
walkway may be referred to as a catwalk.
9
COMPONENTS OF JACK UP RIGS AND THEIR FUNCTION
There are some main components of a Jack up Unit:

01.

Derrick
Load-bearing tower like framework over an oil/gas well which holds the hoisting
and lowering equipment.

02.

Draw works
Hoisting mechanism on a drilling rig which spools off or takes in the drilling line
and thus raises or lowers the drill string and bit.

03.

Drill Floor

Foundation on which the derrick and engines sit. Contains space for storage and
well control equipment.
04.

Drill pipe
Steel pipe, in approximately 30-foot (9-meter) lengths, screwed together to
form a continuous pipe extending from the drilling rig to the drilling bit at the
bottom of the hole. Rotation of the drill pipe and bit causes the bit to bore
through the rock.

05.

Drill String
String of individual joints of pipe that extends from the bit to the Kelly
and carries the mud down to, and rotates, the bit.

06.

Cantilever
The platform carrying the drill floor and derrick.
Skids in and out of rig.

07.

Legs
The 3 or 4 legs of a jack-up rig are lattice
structures made from vertical, horizontal and
diagonal tubes. They can move up and down using
jacking motors/gears.

08.

Living Quarters
Where the crew lives. Up to 120 men onboard.

09.

Helipad
For reception of helicopters delivering supplies and
change of crew.

10.

Hull
Main structure of the rig. Triangular rigid and water-tight.

11.

Spud Can
Circular shoes of the legs. Designed to penetrate deep
into the seabed for good foothold.

These are most important and necessary components of a jack up rig. On the continuation of the
article we will discuss about this items and the other equipment that are exist on a jack up and their
function, types and etc.

On the next page the above mentioned components are showed. All above described items will be
explain in technical word and more complete.

A jack up rig and components.14

Derrick
The term derrick comes from Thomas Derrick, a hangman who invented a type of gallows using a
movable beam and pulley system during the Elizabethan era. During his lifetime, Derrick executed
over 3,000 people, many of them with his modified gallows device, and the supporting framework
for his gallows came to be known as a derrick. The term was adopted to describe cranes and other
lifting devices which used a similar support mechanism.

An oil derrick is a drilling rig designed for use in oil and natural gas production. The basic oil
derrick has an upright stationary section which is potentially capable of supporting hundreds of tons
of weight, combined with a movable boom which is used to raise and lower equipment. Derricks of
various designs have been in use for centuries to extract valuable resources from under the Earth,
and continue to be widely used today. Early derricks consisted of a framework which was designed
to hold a large pole used for percussive drilling, which is accomplished by repeatedly beating the
earth to make a hole. A modern oil derrick typically uses a drill bit which is capable of biting
through the substrate, and cooled with constant slurry of mud to prevent it from getting too hot.
Typically, as the drill bit sinks in, the hole is lined to prevent a cave in. Once the drill reaches the
oil, it is withdrawn so that pumps and pipes can be inserted into the hole to extract it. The basic oil
derrick design is familiar to residents of areas rich in oil, and is also used on offshore oil drilling
platforms which extract water from under the ocean. A large oil derrick requires an extensive crew
to run properly, and is often located in a field of similar derricks, all of which operate on a constant
basis. The oil derrick crew typically includes geologists, engineers, mechanics, and safety
inspectors to ensure that the workplace is well maintained.

Some picture of derrick.15

Picture of a derrick in operation.16

Types of Derricks:
9 Triple- has the capacity of pulling 90 stands of pipe
9 Double- has the capacity of pulling 60 stands of pipe
9 Single- has the capacity of pulling 30stands of pipe (one 30-ft joint)
9 Standard Derricks - Four sided structures that must be assembled and disassembled when
transporting.
9 Portable Derricks - Telescoping and jackknife types.
9 The telescoping derrick is raised and lowered in an extending and collapsing fashion and
lowered in one piece, but may be disassembled to some degree after being lowered.

Draw works (Heart of the rig)

The primary function of the draw works is to reel out and reel in the drilling line, a large diameter
wire rope, in a controlled fashion. The drilling line is reeled over the crown block and traveling
block to gain mechanical advantage in a "block and tackle" or "pulley" fashion. This reeling out and
in of the drilling line causes the traveling block, and whatever may be hanging underneath it, to be
lowered into or raised out of the well bore. The reeling out of the drilling line is powered by
gravity and reeling in by an electric motor or diesel engine.
The principal parts of the draw works are the drum, the drum brakes, transmission, and cathead.
The principal function is to convert the power source into a hoisting operation and provide braking
capacity to stop and sustain the weights imposed when lowering or raising the drill string.

Draw work.17

Diagram of draw works and component.18

As can be observed in above pictures there are some components related to the draw works. In the
continuation of this article we will explain most important part of draw works briefly.

Crown Block - A series of sheaves affixed in the top of the derrick used to
change the direction of pull from the draw works to the traveling block. On
the other word a Crown block is the stationary section of a block and
tackle that contains a set of pulleys or sheaves through which the drill

line (wire rope) is threaded or reeved and is opposite and above the traveling
block.

Crown block.19

As can be understand, crown block has to endure loads and carry out its function. There is a simple
equation to evaluate load on crown block. This formula can be writing as:
1: Static crown load for two sheaves (SCL) = fast-line load+ hook load+ deadline load
SCL= W /2+ W+W/2=2W
2: Static crown load for three sheaves
SCL= W/4+ W+W/4=3/2W

1: Static crown load for N lines or sheaves

SCL=W/N+W+W/N= (1+2/N)W

Traveling Block
A Traveling block is the free moving section of a block and tackle that contains a set
of pulleys or sheaves through which the drill line (wire rope) is threaded
or reeved and is opposite (and under) the crown block (the stationary section).
On the other word traveling block is a movable unit, consisting of sheaves, frame,
clevis, and hook, connected to, and hoisted or lowered with, the load in a block-andtackle system. Also known as floating block; running block.

Traveling block.20

Drilling hook
The drilling hook, capable of swiveling, is attached to the underside of traveling
block. This hook serves to join the hoisting equipment to 1) the swivel which
suspends the drill string, or 2) the elevator which grips a stand or column of casing,
tubing, or drill pipe to be raised or lowered in to the hole.

Drilling hook.21

Top drive
It is a device that turns the drill string. It consists of one or more motors (electric or
hydraulic) connected with appropriate gearing to a short section of pipe called a
quill, that in turn may be screwed into a saver sub or the drill string itself. The top
drive is suspended from the hook, so the rotary mechanism is free to travel up and
down the derrick. This is radically different from the more conventional rotary table
and kelly method of turning the drill string because it enables drilling to be done
with three joint stands instead of single joints of pipe. It also enables the driller to
quickly engage the pumps or the rotary while tripping pipe, which cannot be done
easily with the kelly system. While not a panacea, modern topdrives are a major
improvement to drilling rig technology and are a large contributor to the ability to
drill more difficult extended-reach wellbores. In addition, the top drive enables
drillers to minimize both frequency and cost per incident of stuck pipe.

Top drive.22

Drill floor
The Drill Floor is the heart of any drilling rig and is also known as the pad. This is the area where
the drill string begins its trip into the earth. It is traditionally where joints of pipe are assembled, as
well as the BHA (bottom hole assembly), drilling bit, and various other tools. This is the primary
work location for roughnecks and the driller. The drill floor is located directly under the derrick.

Drilling floor.23

Drilling floor.24

Drill floor device has two or more mouse holes for assembly and disassembly of pipe string
sections. The mouse holes are arranged to be displaced underneath the drill floor by a drive system
and positioned under a hole or an opening in the drill floor. At least one of the mouse holes is
provided with an elevator arranged to raise and lower a pipe or a pipe string section located in the

mouse hole, between an upper working position in which the upper end of the pipe/pipe string
section projects above the drill floor and a lower position of rest in which the upper end of the
pipe/pipe string section is below the drill floor. increasing the depth of the mouse hole allows a
pipe or a stand located in the mouse hole to be lowered to a lower position of rest where the upper
end of the pipe/stand is below the drill floor. An empty mouse hole, or a mouse hole where a pipe
or a stand has been lowered as indicated, may be moved horizontally underneath the drill floor, as
mentioned above. Positioning a mouse hole containing a lowered pipe or a lowered stand under an
opening in the drill floor and then making the mouse hole shallower by raising the pipe support,
allows the upper end of the pipe/stand to be brought to a working height above the drill floor. By
use of the invention a three-pipe stand can be constructed in the following way. An empty first
mouse hole is positioned under an opening in the drill floor, and a first single pipe is brought to a
vertical position through the opening and placed in the mouse hole, by use of previously known
equipment. The pipe support of the mouse hole is placed at a distance below the drill floor that
leaves the upper end of the pipe at a working height above the drill floor, making it easy to
disengage the lifting equipment. The depth of the mouse hole is increased by lowering the pipe
support until the upper end of the pipe is below the drill floor, and the mouse hole is displaced
horizontally away from the opening in the drill floor. An empty second mouse hole is brought into
position under the opening in the drill floor, and a second pipe is placed in this second mouse hole.
A third pipe is brought into the area over the second mouse hole and is coupled to the upper end of
the second pipe, which projects above the drill floor. This creates a two-pipe stand which is then
lifted out of the second mouse hole. The now empty second mouse hole is displaced horizontally
underneath the drill floor away from the opening in the drill floor, and then the first mouse hole
containing the first pipe is positioned under the opening. The first pipe is raised by means of the
elevator and the pipe support, lifting the upper end of the pipe through the opening and up to
working height. The two-pipe stand consisting of the second and third pipes is lowered and added
to the upper end of the first pipe, whereby a three-pipe stand is created, which is lifted out of the
mouse hole in the assembled state and placed in intermediate storage or brought to the central area
of the drill floor for use in a pipe string. As is evident from the above, it is sufficient for the first
mouse hole to be provided with raisable/lowerable pipe support.

Drill pipe and drill string

Drill pipe is hollow, thick-walled, steel tubing that is used on drilling rigs to facilitate the
drilling of a wellbore and comes is a variety of sizes, strengths and weights but are typically 30
to 33 feet in length. They are hollow to allow drilling fluid to be pumped through them, down

the hole and back up the annulus. Because it is designed to support it's own weight for
combined lengths that often exceed 1 mile down into the crust of the Earth, the case hardened
steel tubes are expensive, and owner's spend considerable efforts to re-use them after finishing a
well, replacing the drill stems with thinner walled tubular casing, tapping the natural resources
of oil reservoirs. Used drill stem is often sent to a yard for inspection, sorted, and stored until
new drill sites can be explored.

Drilling pipe.25

Also, a drill string on an oil rig is a column, or string, of drill pipe that transmits drilling fluid (via
the mud pumps) and rotational power (via the kelly drive or top drive) to the drill bit. The term is
loosely applied as the assembled collection of the drill pipe, drill collars, tools and drill bit. The
drill string is hollow so that Drilling fluid can be pumped down through it and circulated back up

the annulus (void between the drill string and the formation). The drill string is an assembly of
components, from the bit to the swivel, used for drilling by rotary method.
In the below picture the drilling string and its components arrangement has been shown.

Drill string and arrengment.26

Kelly is a square or hexagonal member at the upper most part of the drill string (immediately
below the swivel) that passes through a properly fitting bushing known as the Kelly bushing or
drive bushing. The drive bushing transmits rotary motion to the kelly which results in the turning
of the drill string.

A Swivel is a mechanical device used on a drilling rig that hangs directly under the traveling
block and directly above the kelly, that provides the ability for the kelly (and subsequently the drill
string) to rotate while allowing the traveling block to remain in a stationary rotational position (yet
allow vertical movement up and down the derrick) while simultaneously allowing the introduction
of drilling fluid into the drill string.

Swivel.27

Drill bit are at the end of the drill string that actually cuts up the rock; comes in many shapes and
materials (tungsten carbide steel, diamond) that are specialized for various drilling tasks and rock
formations.

Type of drilling bit.28

Cantilever

Cantilever is a projecting beam or other horizontal member supported at one or more points but not
at both ends. Some engineers distinguish between a cantilever, supported at only one fixed end, and
an overhanging beam that projects beyond one of its end supports. The free, unsupported end is
capable of supporting a weight or surface, such as a concrete slab. Any beam built into a wall with a
projecting free end forms a cantilever, which may carry a balcony, canopy, roof, or part of a
building above. Cantilevering can be used for constructions as simple as bookshelves or as
complicated as bridges. Most of our jack-up rigs are equipped with a cantilever system that enables
the rig to cantilever or extend its drilling package over the aft end of the rig. This is particularly
important when attempting to drill over existing platforms. Cantilever rigs have historically enjoyed
higher day rates and greater utilization compared to slot rigs.

Cantilever.29

Method and apparatus for transferring a derrick from a jack-up rig to an offshore platform are
disclosed which include positioning the rig and platform next to each other, providing an elevator
pad on the platform that is set at the same level as the deck of the rig, installing skid beams between
the deck of the rig and the top of the elevator pad, skidding the rig from the rig to the pad, and
lowering the pad and derrick to the normal level of the platform for use in drilling operations. On
the other word; in aligning the skid beams of the jack-up rig with those on the top of the upper
platform section, the jack-up rig is jacked up and anchored at a level where the longitudinal beams
are just above the rails on the top of the upper platform section. The upper platform section is then
slowly raised until the rails carried at the top thereof are in horizontal alignment with the
longitudinal beams of the jack-up platform so that the derrick thereof can be skidded laterally onto
the upper platform section. Subsequently, the upper platform section together with the derrick now
mounted thereabove, is lowered by the jacks until the jacks are totally retracted and the upper
platform section rests at the tope of the platform on the skid beams below the upper platform
section. In this manner, the jacks do not have to support the heavy hook loads which are
encountered during normal drilling operations.

Cantilever.30

How to skid Cantilever.31

Rack and Pinion Skidding Systems are used for moving the cantilever and the drill floor of a jackup rig in order to locate the well center at correct position

Leg and spud can

The legs and footings of a Jack Up are steel structures that support the hull when the Unit is in the
Elevated mode and provide stability to resist lateral loads. Footings are needed to increase the soil
bearing area thereby reducing required soil strength. The legs and footings have certain
characteristics which affect how the Unit reacts in the Elevated and Afloat Modes, while going on
location and in non-design events. The legs of a Jack Up Unit may extend over 500 ft above the
surface of the water when the Unit is being towed with the legs fully retracted. Depending on size
and length, the legs usually have the most detrimental impact on the afloat stability of the Unit. The
heavy weight at a high center of gravity and the large wind area of the legs combine to dramatically
affect the Units afloat stability. For Units of the same hull configuration and draft, the Unit with
the larger legs will have less When in the Elevated Mode; the legs of a Jack up Unit are subjected to
wind, wave, and current loadings. In addition to the specifics of the environment, the magnitude and
proportion of these loads is a function of the water depth, air gap (distance from the water line to the
hull baseline) and the distance the footings penetrate into the seabed. Generally, the larger the legs
and footings, the more load wind, wave, and current will exert on them. Legs of different design
and size exhibit different levels of lateral stiffness (amount of load needed to produce a unit
deflection). Jack Up stiffness decreases with increases in water depth (or more precisely, with the
distance from the support footing to the hull/leg connection). Furthermore, for deeper water depths,
flexural stiffness (chord area and spacing) overshadows the effects of shear stiffness (brace). Leg
stiffness is directly related to Jack Up stiffness in the elevated mode, thereby affecting the amount
of hull sway and the natural period of the Unit (which may result in a magnification of the
oscillatory wave loads). All Jack Up Units have legs. Their purpose is to provide elevation of the
hull above the storm wave crest; withstand wave, current, and wind loads; and to transmit
operational, environmental, and gravity loads between the hull and footings. There are two kind of
legs; cylindrical and trussed. Cylindrical legs are hollow steel tubes. They may or may not have
internal stiffening, and may have rack teeth or holes in the shell to permit jacking of the hull up and
down the legs. Cylindrical legs are currently found on Units operating in water depths less than 300
feet. The newer Units operating in water depths of 300 feet and greater all have trussed legs. The
main reason for this is that cylindrical legs require more steel to provide the same resistance to
environmental loads and provide the same elevated response as truss legged Units The primary
advantage of cylindrical legs is for Units that operate in shallow water as these Units are normally
smaller and have less deck area. Cylindrical legs take up less deck area and are generally less
complicated requiring less experience to construct than trussed legs.

Trussed legs consist of chords and braces. In general, the braces provide the shear capacity of the
leg while the chords provide the axial and flexural stiffness. One of the main benefits of the Trussed
legs is that they allow for optimal steel utilization and result in lighter stiffer legs with reduced drag
loads.

Trussed 4legs jack up.32

Cylindrical 3legs jack up.33

3-Lgged versus 4-legged jack ups

The great majority of Jack up Units in the world have no more than four legs,
with three being the minimum required for stability. There are some Units built with
more than four legs. Units with 3 legs have the legs arranged in some triangular
form. The main advantage of three-legged Units is that they completely eliminate the
need to build extra leg(s). Furthermore, for a given hull size, they can carry more
deck load in the afloat mode; and usually have a reduced number of elevating units
(pinions, cylinders, etc), resulting in reduced power/maintenance requirements, and
less weight. Disadvantages of three-legged units include the fact that they require
preload tankage and they have no leg redundancy. Units with 4-legs usually have the
legs arranged in some rectangular form. Four legged Units require little or no preload
tanks on board. This is because four-legged Units can preload two legs at a time
using the elevated weight as preload weight. This results in a savings of piping and
equipment weights, and more usable space within the hull. Because of the fourth leg,
these Units are stiffer in the elevated mode than a three-legged Unit. This apparent
advantage may be offset by the fact that the additional leg adds wind, wave and
current loads. In the afloat transit mode, the fourth leg is a disadvantage as its weight

causes a direct reduction in the afloat deck load when compared to an equivalent
three-legged unit.
3-chorded legs versus 4-corded legs
Trussed legs have either 3 or 4 main vertical structural members called
chords. All trussed-leg Jack Up Units operating today have one of these chord
arrangements. In essence, the benefits and disadvantages of three- versus fourchorded legs are comparable in nature to those of three- and four-legged Jack Ups
(i.e., overall weight/drag loads and redundancy), except that they do not affect
preloading procedures in any way.
How to elevate
In the offshore oil and gas well drilling and production industry, it is common to use
jack-up barges or jack-up rigs for many purposes. These rigs can be used to repair or
work over oil and gas wells. Very large jack-up rigs are fitted as oil and gas well
drilling

rigs

for

drilling

for

oil

and

gas

in

marine

environment.

It is known in the art to use an elevating system for raising a barge relative to the
legs of a jack-up rig using a rack and pinion type gearing mechanism. In such a case,
a plurality of pinion gears engages a toothed rack mounted on each leg of the jack-up
rig. It is also known to mount such a rack on a truss-type leg that is typically
triangular

or

square

in

horizontal

cross

section

or

cylindrical

pipe.

When using such a rack and pinion type elevating mechanism, there is a need for a
brake system for locking the elevating unit relative to the leg when the hull is to be
fixed at a desired position relative to the underlying waters surface.
Elevating Equipment refers to the equipment and systems aboard a Jack up Unit
which are necessary for the Jack Up to raise, lower, and lock-off the legs and hull of
the Jack Up. All Jack ups have mechanisms for lifting and lowering the hull. The
most basic type of elevating system is the pin and hole system, which allows for hull
positioning only at discrete leg positions. However, the majority of Jack Ups in use
today are equipped with a Rack and Pinion system for continuous jacking operations.
There are two basic jacking systems: Floating and Fixed. The Floating system uses
relatively soft pads to try to equalize chord loads, whereas the Fixed system allows
for unequal chord loading while holding. There are two types of power sources for
Fixed Jacking Systems, electric and hydraulic. Both systems have the ability to
equalize chord loads within each leg. A hydraulic-powered jacking system achieves
this by maintaining the same pressure to each elevating unit within a leg. Care must

be taken, however, to ensure that losses due to piping lengths, bends, etc., are either
equalized for all pinions or such differences are insignificant in magnitude. For an
electric powered jacking system, the speed/load characteristics of the electric
induction motors cause jacking motor speed changes resulting from pinion loads,
such that if jacking for a sufficiently long time, the loads on any one leg tend to
equalize for all chords of that leg. All Jack Ups have mechanisms to guide the legs
through the hull. For Units with Pinions, the guides protect the pinions from
bottoming out on the rack teeth. As such, all Units are fitted with a set of upper
and lower guides. Some Jack up Units, which have exceptionally deep hulls or tall
towers of pinions, also have intermediate guides. These guides function only to
maintain the rack the correct distance away from the pinions and are not involved in
transferring leg bending moment to the hull. Guides usually push against the tip
(vertical flat side) of the teeth, but this is not the only form of guides. There are also
other forms of guides such as chord guides, etc. Depending on accessibility, some
guides are designed to be replaced and are sometimes known as wear plates. In
addition to protecting the pinions and hull, all upper and lower guides are capable of
transferring leg bending moment to the hull to some degree determined by the
design. The amount of moment transferred by the guides to the hull as a horizontal
couple is dependant on the relative stiffness of the guides with respect to the stiffness
of the pinions and/or fixation system (if any).

Rack and pinion system.34

Leg and its elevating equipment.35

9 Spud can
Most of the jack-up rig has three legs, each equipped with a shallow conical
underside footing known as a spud-can'. Spud cans are footings of a jack-up unit that is commonly
employed for offshore drilling when the water depth is less than 100m. The footing is an inverted
conical structure with polygonal plane area and its diameter typically ranges from 10 to 25m. As the
spud can size increases, the bearing pressure decreases, resulting in lower soil penetration will be
happened. Larger spud can size, however may require larger leg well openings on the hull, reducing
its afloat stability and its capacity to pick up buoyancy forces in the event of rapid penetration.

Spud can and penetration.36

Helipad
A helicopter deck (or heli deck) is a helicopter pad on the deck of a jack up, usually located on
the stern and always clear of obstacles that would prove hazardous to a helicopter landing. In
the U.S. Navy it is commonly and properly referred to as the flight deck. In the Royal
Navy, landing on is usually achieved by lining up slightly astern and on the port quarter, as the
ship steams into the wind and the aircraft captain slides across and over the deck. Shipboard
landing for some helicopters is assisted though use of a haul-down device that involves
attachment of a cable to a probe on the bottom of the aircraft prior to landing. Tension is
maintained on the cable as the helicopter descends, assisting the pilot with accurate positioning
of the aircraft on the deck; once on deck locking beams close on the probe, locking the aircraft
to the flight deck. This device was pioneered by the Royal Canadian Navy and was called

"Beartrap". The U.S. Navy implementation of this device, based on Bear trap, is called the
"RAST" system (for Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse) and is an integral part of
the LAMPS MK III (SH-60B) weapons system. A secondary purpose of the haul-down device
is to equalize electrostatic potential between the helicopter and ship. The whirling rotor blades
of a helicopter can cause large charges to build up on the airframe, large enough to cause injury
to shipboard personnel should they touch any part of the helicopter as it approaches the deck.
This was depicted in the 1990 motion picture The Hunt for Red October. In the film,
CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) is flown out to the submarine Dallas in a helicopter.
With no place to land, Ryan has to be lowered to the Dallas, but brushes the officer charged
with trying to hook him. The officer is shocked and receives a minor injury. Ryan releases
himself from the harness and is rescued by divers. Coaxial rotor helicopters in flight are highly
resistant to side-winds, which makes them suitable for shipboard use, even without a ropepulley landing system.Marine and Offshore Helicopter decks onboard offshore oil platforms and
Ships are typically regulated by the rules defined within CAP 437, which defines standards for
the design and marking, and lighting of Marine/offshore Helicopter decks, and is produced by
the Civil Aviation Authority. The Largest Marine Heli decks will accommodate the Boeing CH47 Chinook , which requires a D value of 30m, and has a weight of 21.3t.

Helipad of jack up.38

Hull
The Hull of a Jack up Unit is a watertight structure that supports or houses the equipment,
systems, and personnel, thus enabling the Jack Up Unit to perform its tasks.
When the Jack up Unit is afloat, the hull provides buoyancy and supports the weight of the legs
and footings (spud cans), equipment, and variable load. Different parameters of the hull affect
different modes of operation of the Unit. These are described below.
In general, the larger the length and breadth of the hull, the more variable deck load and
equipment the Unit will be able to carry, especially in the Afloat mode (due to increased deck
space and increased buoyancy). Also, larger hulls generally result in roomier machinery spaces
and more clear space on the main deck to store pipe, 3rd Party Equipment, and provide for clear
work areas. The larger hull may have larger preload capacity that may permit increased
flexibility in preloading operations.
Larger hulls generally have the negative effects of attracting higher wind, wave and current
loads. Since Jack Ups with larger hulls weigh more, they will require more elevating jacks of
larger capacity to elevate and hold the Unit. The large weight also affects the natural period of
the Jack up Unit in the elevated mode. The draft of the hull, or the distance from the afloat
waterline to the baseline of the hull, has a direct effect on the amount of variable deck load that
can be carried and the stability when afloat. The draft of the hull has an opposing relationship
with the hulls freeboard, or the distance from the afloat waterline to the main deck of the hull.
Every incremental increase in the draft of a Jack Up decreases the freeboard by the same
increment. For units with identical hulls, the one with the deeper draft weighs more. This
increased weight could be in the form of lightship weight or variable deck load. Conversely, for
Units with identical hulls, the unit with the deeper draft will have less afloat stability than the
unit with shallower draft. Perhaps the most influential parameter in a Jack Up units afloat
stability is freeboard. For units with identical hulls and leg length, the one with the larger
freeboard will have the larger afloat stability margin.
The equipment required to satisfy the mission of the Jack up Unit affects both the hull size and
lightship weight of the Unit. There are three main groups of equipment on a Jack up Unit, the
Marine Equipment, Mission Equipment, and Elevating Equipment.
Marine Equipment refers to the equipment and systems aboard a Jack up Unit that are not
related to the Mission Equipment. Marine Equipment could be found on any sea-going vessel,
regardless of its form or function. Marine Equipment may include items such as main diesel
engines, fuel oil piping, electrical power distribution switchboards, lifeboats, radar,
communication equipment, galley equipment, etc. Marine Equipment, while not directly

involved with the Mission of the Jack up Unit, is necessary for the support of the personnel and
equipment necessary to carry out the Mission. All Marine Equipment is classified as part of the
Jack up Lightship Weight. Mission Equipment refers to the equipment and systems aboard a
Jack up Unit, which are necessary for the Jack Up to complete its Mission. Mission Equipment
varies by the mission and by the Jack Up. Two Jack up Units which are involved in Exploration
Drilling may not have the same Mission Equipment. Examples of Mission Equipment may
include derricks, mud pumps, mud piping, drilling control systems, production equipment,
cranes, combustible gas detection and alarms systems, etc. Mission Equipment is not always
classified as part of the Jack up Lightship Weight. Some items, such as cement units, are
typically classified as variable deck load as they may not always be located aboard the Jack Up.
Elevating Equipment refers to the equipment and systems aboard a Jack up unit which are
necessary for the Jack Up to raise, lower, and lock-off the legs and hull of the Jack up.
All Jack up Units must load the soil that supports them to the full load expected to be exerted on
the soil during the most severe condition, usually Storm Survival Mode. This preloading
reduces the likelihood of a foundation shift or failure during a Storm. The possibility does exist
that a soil failure or leg shift may occur during Preload Operations. To alleviate the potentially
catastrophic results of such an occurrence, the hull is kept as close to the waterline as possible,
without incurring wave impact. Should a soil failure or leg shift occur, the leg that experiences
the failure loses load-carrying capability and rapidly moves downward, bringing the hull into
the water. Some of the load previously carried by the leg experiencing the failure is transferred
to the other legs potentially overloading them. The leg experiencing the failure will continue to
penetrate until either the soil is able to support the leg, or the hull enters the water to a point
where the hull buoyancy will provide enough support to stop the penetration. As the hull
becomes out-of-level, the legs will experience increased transverse load and bending moment
transferred to the hull mostly by the guide. With the increased guide loads, some braces will
experience large compressive loads. There are detailed procedures to be followed during such a
failure to minimize the structural damage, but these are beyond the scope of this primer. During
normal preload operations it is important to keep the weight of the hull, deck load, and preload
as close to the geometric center of the legs as possible, as this will assure equal loading on all
legs. Sometimes, however, single-leg preloading is desired to increase the maximum footing
reaction of any one leg. This is achieved by selective filling/emptying of preload tanks based on
their relative position to the leg being preloaded. Preload is water taken from the sea and
pumped into tanks within the hull. After the preload is pumped on board, it is held for a period
of time. The Preload Operation is not completed until no settling of the legs into the soil occurs

during the holding period while achieving the target footing reaction. The amount of preload
required depends on the required environmental reaction and the type of Jack Up Unit. Mat
Units normally require little preload. Four-legged independent Units usually require little or no
preload water. This is because four-legged Units preload two diagonally opposite legs at a time
using the weight of the hull. These Units jack to their preload air gap, then lift two legs slightly
off the seabed. This causes the Unit to settle on the other two legs. The hull is jacked back up to
preload air gap, and the procedure is completed when all four legs have been preloaded to the
target footing reaction and no additional penetration takes place. Three-legged independent
Units require the most preload water. For Units that cannot jack with preload, preload water is
pumped on board after the hull reaches the preload air gap. If significant settling occurs, the
preload must be dumped before the hull is jacked to its preload air gap again, and the procedure
repeated until no settling occurs. For Units that can jack with full preload, preload is pumped
into the hull while the hull is still in the water. The hull is then jacked up, usually stopping for a
short time at certain pre-arranged drafts. This continues until the hull is at the preload air gap
and holds the preload for the holding period. Once the preload is held for the specified time, the
preload water is dumped and the Jack Up is ready to be elevated to the operating air gap.
On the continuation of this section, three groups of equipment which were mentioned will be
more detailed.
9 Mission Equipment
Mission Equipment refers to the equipment and systems aboard a Jack up Unit,
which are necessary for the Jack up to complete its Mission. Mission Equipment varies by the
mission and by the Jack up. Two Jack up Units which are involved in Exploration Drilling may
not have the same Mission Equipment. Examples of Mission Equipment may include derricks,
mud pumps, mud piping, drilling control systems, production equipment, cranes, combustible
gas detection and alarms systems, etc. some of mission equipments as an example , derrick, has
been detailed in previous pages.
Mud pump
In geotechnical engineering, drilling fluid is a fluid

used to

drill boreholes into the earth. Often used while drilling oil and natural gas wells and
on exploration drilling rigs, drilling fluids are also used for much simpler boreholes,
such as water wells. The three main categories of drilling fluids are Water based mud
(which can be dispersed and non dispersed), non aqueous mud, usually called oil
based mud, and gaseous drilling fluid, in which a wide range of gases can be used.
The main functions of drilling fluids include providing hydrostatic pressure to
prevent formation fluids from entering into the well bore, keeping the drill bit cool

and clean during drilling, carrying out drill cuttings and suspending the drill cuttings
while drilling is paused and the drilling assembly is brought in and out of the hole.
The drilling fluid used for a particular job is selected to avoid formation damage and
to limit corrosion. Many types of drilling fluids are used on a day to day basis. Some
wells require that different types be used at different parts in the hole, or that some
types be used in combination with others. The various types of fluid generally fall
into a few broad categories:
Air - compressed air is pumped either down the bore holes annular space or down
the drill string itself.
Air/water - Same as above, with water added to increase viscosity, flush the hole,
provide more cooling, and/or to control dust.
Air/polymer - A specially formulated chemical, most often referred to as a type of
polymer, is added to the water & air mixture to create specific conditions. A foaming
agent is a good example of a polymer.
Water - Water by itself is pumped to do very specific things in very specific
formations.
Water-Based Mud (WBM) - A most basic water-based mud system begins with
water, then clays and other chemicals are incorporated into the water to create a
homogenous blend resembling something between chocolate milk and a malt
(depending on viscosity). The clay (called "shale" in its rock form) is usually a
combination of native clays that are dissolved into the fluid while drilling, or specific
types of clay that are processed and sold as additives for the WBM system. The most
common of these is betonies, frequently referred to in the oilfield as "gel". Gel likely
makes reference to the fact that while the fluid is being pumped, it can be very thin
and free-flowing (like chocolate milk), though when pumping is stopped, the static
fluid builds a "gel" structure that resists flow. When an adequate pumping force is
applied to "break the gel", flow resumes and the fluid returns to its previously freeflowing state. Many other chemicals (e.g. Potassium Formate) are added to a WBM
system to achieve various effects, including: viscosity control, shale stability,
enhance drilling rate of penetration, cooling and lubricating of equipment.
Mud engineer, the name given to an oil field service company individual who is
charged with maintaining a drilling fluid or completion fluid system on an oil and/or
gas drilling rig. This individual typically works for the company selling the
chemicals for the job and is specifically trained with those products, though

independent mud engineers are still common. The work schedule of the mud
engineer or more properly drilling Fluids Engineer is arduous, often involving long
shifts.
In offshore drilling, with new technology and high total day costs, wells are being
drilled extremely fast. Having two mud engineers makes economic sense to prevent
down time due to drilling fluid difficulties. Two mud engineers also reduce
insurance costs to oil companies for environmental damage that oil companies are
responsible for during drilling and production. The cost of the drilling fluid is
typically about 10% (may vary greatly) of the total cost of well construction, and
demands competent mud engineers. Large cost savings result when the mud engineer
performs adequately. As every body can understand, the main device to complete
mud circuit is pump, Mud pump is a reciprocating plunger device designed to
circulate drilling

fluid down

the drill

string and

back

up

the annulus.

Mud pumps come in a variety of sizes and configurations but for the typical
petroleum drilling rig, the triplex (three plunger) mud pump is the pump of choice.
Bop
The first line of defense in well control is to have sufficient drilling fluid
pressure in the well hole. During drilling, underground fluids such as gas, water, or
oil under pressure (the formation pressure) opposes the drilling fluid pressure (mud
pressure). If the formation pressure is greater than the mud pressure, there is the
possibility of a blowout. The blowout preventer (BOP), accumulator andchoke
manifold are installed by the rig crew after thesurface casing is set and cemented.
The accumulator and choke manifold have been set into place during rigging up and
now need to be hooked up and tested. The choke line valve is used to redirect the
mud from the well bore to the choke manifold during a kick. The kill line valve is
used to direct drilling fluid to the BOP during a kick.
The BOPs, accumulators, and choke manifold should be tested and properly
maintained.
Potential Hazards:
9 Being hit by hoses or sprayed by hydraulic fluid if there is a seal or hydraulic
line failure during pressure testing.
9 Possible Solutions:
Ensure workers stand clear of pressurized lines during testing procedures.

Mud pump.39

Drill-mud circulation system.40

A type of Bop.41

Shale shaker
Shale

shakers are

devices

that

remove drill

cuttings from

the drilling fluid while circulating and drilling. There are many different designs and
research into the best design is constantly ongoing since solids control is vital in
keeping down costs associated with the drilling fluid. The name shale shaker is a
description of what it does. The basic design consists of large, flat sheets of wire
mesh screens or sieves of various mesh sizes that shakes or vibrates the drill cuttings,
commonly shale, across and off of the screens as the drilling fluid flows through
them and back into the drilling fluid system, often called a mud system. This
separates the drill cuttings, often called solids, from the drilling fluid so that it can be
recirculated back down the wellbore. Drilling mud, typically a mixture of clay, water

and various additives, is pumped through a hollow drill string (pipe, drill collar, bit,
etc.) down into a well and exits through holes in a drill bit. The mud picks up
cuttings (rock bits) and other solids from the well and carries them upwardly away
from the bit and out of the well in a space between the well walls and the drill string.
At the top of the well, the solids-laden mud is introduced to a shale shaker, a device
which typically has a series of screens arranged in tiered or flat disposition with
respect to each other. The screens catch and remove solids from the mud as the mud
passes through them. If drilled solids are not removed from the mud used during the
drilling operation, recirculation of the drilled solids can create viscosity and gel
problems in the mud, as well as increasing wear in mud pumps and other mechanical
equipment used for drilling. In some shale shakers, a fine screen cloth is used with
the vibrating screen. The screen may have two or more overlying layers of screen
cloth. The frame of the vibrating screen is suspended or mounted upon a support and
is caused to vibrate by a vibrating mechanism, e.g. an unbalanced weight on a
rotating shaft connected to the frame. Each screen may be vibrated by vibratory
equipment to create a flow of trapped solids toward an end of the screen on a top
surface of the screen for removal and disposal of solids. The fineness or coarseness
of the mesh of a screen may vary depending upon mud flow rate and the size of the
solids to be removed. n certain prior art shale shakers having one (or more)
processing screens, such screens cannot adequately deal with a surge in fluid flow or
high fluid flow rates, e.g. During a bottoms up or riser pipe circulation condition.
La other prior art systems, the discharge of one or more shale shakers is fed to
another shale shaker for further de-liquefying and de-oiling. Such a process
necessarily requires at least two shale shakers. However, on offshore drilling rigs,
space is at a premium. For this reason, tiered or tandem shale shakers are used to
affect a finer screening of the mud on the second level. But, in high volume
operations, such tandem shale shakers may not be able to handle the throughput due
to their limited size. Accordingly, there is a need to enhance the capacity of a tandem
shale shaker during high mud volume operations without increasing their foot
print, i.e., the area of floor space required by the base of the tandem shale shaker.

Shale shaker system.42

Mud tank
A Mud tank is an open-top container, typically made of steel, used as a reserve
store for the active circulation of the drilling fluid on a drilling rig. They are often
called mud pits, which comes from the fact that they used to be nothing more than
pits dug out of the earth. The tanks are open-top and will have walkways on top of
them to allow traversing and visual observation of the drilling fluid and to monitor
the level of fluid in the tanks. The walkways also allow access to other equipment
mounted on top of the mud tanks. For typical petroleum drilling rig there are
normally 2 tanks. Each tank is sectioned off into smaller separate compartments
designed for more specific purposes, such as a settling tank (sometimes called a sand
trap), used to allow solids such as sand to settle out of the drilling fluid before it
flows into the next compartment. Other compartments will have agitators (which are
large fan blades) that stir the fluid to prevent the chemical constituents of the drilling
fluid from settling out. All mud is drawn out of the front tank and all mud is
deposited into the rear tank, which creates a flow from the rear tank to the front tank.
There are only two paths for mud to get to the front tank, both through the sand trap
and through the overflow in the common wall forming a center divider. Mud will

take the path of least resistance, most often this is the sand trap at the bottom of the
tank. This loads the sand trap pipe and forces the mud to flow from the rear tank to
the front tank. The de sander pump draws a suction on the forward sand trap, which
keeps the mud and sand moving to the de sander pump with a small amount of mud
flowing from the front tank into the sand trap. Because the mud from the shaker and
de sander cones is deposited into the rear tank, the rear tank will overflow through
the center divider to the front tank. Now, mud in the front tank is clean with the de
sander cones continuously reprocessing the mud so that the mud in the front tank
gets cleaner and cleaner. The suction point for the down hole pump is above the
bottom of the tank there by clean mud is drawn off the top of the front mud tank.

Mud tank.43

De sander
De sander is a centrifuge-type device for removing sand from drilling fluid
in order to prevent abrasion damage to pumps. Also is a

hydro

cyclone device that removes large drill solids from the whole mud system.
The desander should be located downstream of the shale shakers and
degassers, but before the desilters or mud cleaners. A volume of mud is
pumped into the wide upper section of the hydrocylone at an angle roughly
tangent to its circumference. As the mud flows around and gradually down
the inside of the cone shape, solids are separated from the liquid by
centrifugal forces. The solids continue around and down until they exit the

bottom of the hydrocyclone (along with small amounts of liquid) and are
discarded. The cleaner and lighter density liquid mud travels up through a
vortex in the center of the hydrocyclone, exits through piping at the top of the
hydrocyclone and is then routed to the mud tanks and the next mud-cleaning
device, usually a desilter. Various size desander and desilter cones are
functionally identical, with the size of the cone determining the size of
particles the device removes from the mud system.

desander.44

De sitter
Desilter is a hydrocyclone device that removes large drill solids from the whole mud
system. The desander should be located downstream of the shale shakers and
degassers, but before the desilters or mud cleaners. A volume of mud is pumped into
the wide upper section of the hydro cylone at an angle roughly tangent to its
circumference. As the mud flows around and gradually down the inside of the cone
shape, solids are separated from the liquid by centrifugal forces. The solids continue
around and down until they exit the bottom of the hydro cyclone (along with small
amounts of liquid) and are discarded. The cleaner and lighter density liquid mud
travels up through a vortex in the center of the hydro cyclone, exits through piping at
the top of the hydro cyclone and is then routed to the mud tanks and the next mud-

cleaning device, usually a desilter. Various size desander and desilter cones are
functionally identical, with the size of the cone determining the size of particles the
device removes from the mud system.

desilter.45

Degasser
It is a device that removes air or gases (methane, H2S, CO2 and others) from drilling
liquids. There are two generic types that work by both expanding the size of the gas
bubbles entrained in the mud (by pulling a vacuum on the mud) and by increasing
the surface area available to the mud so that bubbles escape (through the use of
various cascading baffle plates). If the gas content in the mud is high, a mud gas
separator or "poor boy degasser" is used, because it has a higher capacity than
standard degassers and routes the evolved gases away from the rig to a flaring area
complete with an ignition source.

degasser.46

Schematic of the circulating system has been shown in fig40: The drill bit, drill
collar, annulus, drill pipe, kelly and swivel are depicted in the upper right. Drilling
mud flows through the mud return line (center) upon its return to the surface from
the hole to the shale shaker (upper left), then to the adjacent desander, desilter and
degasser back to the mud tank (upper left). Mud passes through the suction line, and
the mud pump (center) circulates the mud through the discharge line (above), the
stand pipe (upper right) through the rotary hose (right) and the swivel (lower right),
back to the kelly and into the drill pipe.
Crain
A crane is a machine that is capable of raising and lowering heavy objects and
moving them horizontally. Cranes are distinguished from hoists, which can lift
objects but that cannot move them sideways. Cranes are also distinguished from
conveyors, that lift and move bulk materials, such as grain and coal, in a continuous
process. The word crane is taken from the fact that these machines have a shape

similar to that of the tall, long-necked bird of the same name. Human beings have
used a wide variety of devices to lift heavy objects since ancient times. One of the
earliest versions of the crane to be developed was the shaduf, first used to move
water in Egypt about four thousand years ago. The shaduf consists of a
long, pivoting beam balanced on a vertical support. A heavy weight is attached to
one end of the beam and a bucket to the other. The user pulls the bucket down to the
water supply, fills it, then allows the weight to pull the bucket up. The beam is then
rotated to the desired position and the bucket is emptied. The shaduf is still used in
rural areas of Egypt and India. An important development in crane design occurred
during the Middle Ages, when a horizontal arm known as a jib was added to the
boom. The jib was attached to the boom in a way which allowed it to pivot, allowing
for an increased range of motion. By the sixteenth century, cranes were built with
two treadmills, one on each side of a rotating housing containing the boom. Safety is
the most important factor to be considered during crane manufacturing. The steel
used to make the crane is inspected to ensure that it has no structural flaws that
would weaken the crane. Welds and bolts joints are inspected as well.The United
States government sets specific regulations through the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration that limit the weight that a specific crane is allowed to lift.
The Crane Manufacturers Association of America sets its own safety standards
which exceed those required by the government. Special devices within the crane
prevent the user from attempting to lift a weight heavier than that allowed.A
completed crane is first tested without a weight to ensure that all of its components
operate properly. It is then tested with a weight to ensure that the crane is able to lift
heavy objects without losing stability.Safety ultimately depends on proper use of the
crane. Crane operators must be specially trained, must pass specific tests, and must
be examined for any visual or physical problems. The crane should be inspected each
working shift, with a more thorough inspection of the motor and lifting apparatus on
a monthly basis. Crane operators must be aware of changes in the environment in
order to avoid accidents. For example, cranes should not be used during
very windy conditions.
Every jack up has some carnies, and with regard to their decks, the carnies are
located. Look at the picture to understand the meaning of more important issue about
the deck.

Basic area of a jack up hall.47

The carnies that Located on the jack up, these are used for cargo operations and
retrieval where no shore unloading facilities are available. Most are diesel-hydraulic
or electric-hydraulic.
On the next page there is a diagram showing the most important components of a
pedestal crane which is use on jack up rigs normally.

Components of a cran.48

Modes of operation of a jack up

Jack up Units operate in three main modes: transit from one location to another, elevated on its legs,
and jacking up or down between afloat and elevated modes. Each of these modes has specific
precautions and requirements to be followed to ensure smooth operations. A brief discussion of
these modes of operations along with key issues associated with each follows.
Transit from one location to another
The Transit Mode occurs when a Jack up Unit is to be transported from one location
to another. Transit can occur either afloat on the Jack up Units own hull (wet tow),
or with the Jack Up Unit as cargo on the deck of another vessel (dry tow). These
Transit Modes are discussed in more detail below. Main preparations for each
Transit Mode address support of the legs support of the hull, watertight integrity of
the unit, and stowage of cargo and equipment to prevent shifting due to motions.
Though the Units legs must be raised to ensure they clear the seabed during tow, it
is not required that the legs be fully retracted. Allowing part of the legs to be lower
than the hull baseline not only reduces jacking time, but it also reduces leg inertia
loads due to tow motions and increases stability due to decreased wind overturning.
Lowering the legs a small distance may also improve the hydrodynamic flow around
the open leg wells and reduce tow resistance. Whatever the position of the legs
during tow, their structure at the leg/hull interface must be checked to ensure the legs
can withstand the gravity and inertial loads associated with the tow. Field Tow
corresponds to the condition where a Jack Up Unit is afloat on its own hull with its
legs raised, and is moved a relatively short distance to another location. For a short
move, the ability to predict the condition of the weather and sea state is relatively
good. Therefore, steps to prepare the Unit for Field Tow are not as stringent as for a
longer tow. Most Classification Societies define a Field Tow as a Tow that does
not take longer than 12 hours, and must satisfy certain requirements with regards to
motion criteria. This motion criterion, expressed as a roll/pitch magnitude at a certain
period, limits the inertial loads on the legs and leg support mechanism. For certain
moves lasting more than 12 hours, a Unit may undertake an Extended Field Tow. An
Extended Field Tow is defined as a Tow where the Unit is always within a 12-hour
Tow of a safe haven, should weather deteriorate. In this
Condition, the Jack up Unit is afloat on its own hull with its legs raised, similar to a
Field Tow. The duration of an Extended Field Tow may be many days. The motion

criterion for an Extended Field Tow is the same as for a Field Tow. The main
preparations for a Unit to undertake an Extended Field Tow are the same as those for
a Field Tow with the additional criteria that the weather is to be carefully monitored
throughout the duration of the tow. A Wet Ocean Tow is defined as an afloat move
lasting more than 12-hours which does not satisfy the requirements of an Extended
Field Tow. In this condition, the Jack Up Unit is afloat on its own hull with its legs
raised as with a Field Tow, but, for many Units, additional precautions must be
made. This is because the motion criteria for a Wet Ocean Tow are more stringent
than for a Field Tow. The additional preparations may include installing additional
leg supports, shortening the leg by cutting or lowering, and securing more equipment
and cargo in and on the hull.
A Dry Ocean Tow is defined as the transportation of a Jack Up Unit on the deck of
another vessel. In this condition, the Jack Up Unit is not afloat, but is secured as
deck cargo. The motion criteria for the Unit are dictated by the motions of the
transportation vessel with the Unit on board. Therefore, the precautions to be taken
with regard to support of the legs must be investigated on a case-by-case basis.
Generally, though, the legs are to be retracted as far as possible into the hull so the
Jack Up hull can be kept as low as practicable to the deck of the transport vessel and
to reduce the amount of cribbing support. The other critical precaution unique to Dry
Ocean Tow is the support of the Jack Up hull. The hull must be supported by
cribbing on strong points (bulkheads) within the hull and in many cases; portions of
the hull overhang the side of the transportation vessel. These overhanging sections
may be exposed to wave impact, putting additional stress on the hull, and if the
overhanging sections include the legs, the resultant bending moment applied to the
hull (and amplified by vessel motions) can be significant. Calculations should be
made to ensure that the hull will not lift off the cribbing with the expected tow
motions.

Arriving on location
Upon completion of the Transit Mode, the Jack Up Unit is said to be in the Arriving
On Location Mode. In this Mode, the Unit is secured from Transit Mode and begins
preparations to Jack Up to the Elevated Mode. Preparations include

removing any wedges in the leg guides, energizing the jacking system, and removing
any leg securing mechanisms installed for the Transit thereby transferring the weight
of the legs to the pinions.

Soft pinning the legs

If an independent leg Jack up Unit is going to be operated next to a Fixed Structure,
or in a difficult area with bottom restrictions, the Jack up Unit will often be
temporarily positioned just away from its final working location. This is called Soft
Pinning the legs or Standing Off location. This procedure involves lowering one
or more legs until the bottom of the spud can(s) just touches the soil. The purpose of
this is to provide a Stop point in the Arriving on Location process. Here, all
preparations can be checked and made for the final approach to the working location.
This includes coordinating with the assisting tugs, running anchor lines to be able to
winch in to final location, powering up of positioning thrusters on the Unit (if
fitted), checking the weather forecast for the period of preloading and jacking up,
etc.

FINAL GOING ON LOCATION

Whether a unit stops at a Soft Pin location, or proceeds directly to the final jacking
up location, they will have some means of positioning the unit so that ballasting or
preloading operations prior to jacking up can commence. For an independent leg
Jack up Unit, holding position is accomplished by going on location with all three
legs lowered so the bottom of the spud can is just above the seabed. When the Unit is
positioned at its final location, the legs are lowered until they can hold the rig on
location without the assistance of tugs. Mat type Jack up unit is either held on
location by tugs, or they drop spud piles into the soil. These spud piles, usually
cylindrical piles with concrete fill, hold the Unit on location until the mat can be
ballasted and lowered.

Preload operation
All Jack Up Units must load the soil that supports them to the full load expected to
be exerted on the soil during the most severe condition, usually Storm Survival
Mode. This preloading reduces the likelihood of a foundation shift or failure during a
Storm. The possibility does exist that a soil failure or leg shift may occur during

Preload Operations. To alleviate the potentially catastrophic results of such an

occurrence, the hull is kept as close to the waterline as possible, without incurring
wave impact. Should a soil failure or leg shift occur, the leg that experiences the
failure loses load-carrying capability and rapidly moves downward, bringing the hull
into the water. Some of the load previously carried by the leg experiencing the
failure is transferred to the other legs potentially overloading them. The leg
experiencing the failure will continue to penetrate until either the soil is able to
support the leg, or the hull enters the water to a point where the hull buoyancy will
provide enough support to stop the penetration. As the hull becomes out-of-level, the
legs will experience increased transverse load and bending moment transferred to the
hull mostly by the guide. With the increased guide loads, some braces will
experience large compressive loads. There are detailed procedures to be followed
during such a failure to minimize the structural damage, but these are beyond the
scope of this text. During normal preload operations it is important to keep the
weight of the hull, deck load, and preload as close to the geometric center of the legs
as possible, as this will assure equal loading on all legs. Sometimes, however, singleleg preloading is desired to increase the maximum footing reaction of any one leg.
This is achieved by selective filling/emptying of preload tanks based on their relative
position to the leg being preloaded. Preload is water taken from the sea and pumped
into tanks within the hull. After the preload is pumped on board, it is held for a
period of time. The Preload Operation is not completed until no settling of the legs
into the soil occurs during the holding period while achieving the target footing
reaction. The amount of preload required depends on the required environmental
reaction and the type of Jack Up Unit. Mat Units normally require little preload.
Four-legged independent Units usually require little or no preload water. This is
because four-legged Units preload two diagonally opposite legs at a time using the
weight of the hull. These Units jack to their preload air gap, then lift two legs
slightly off the seabed. This causes the Unit to settle on the other two legs. The hull
is jacked back up to preload air gap, and the procedure is completed when all four
legs have been preloaded to the target footing reaction and no additional penetration
takes place.
Three-legged independent Units require the most preload water. For Units that
cannot jack with preload, preload water is pumped on board after the hull reaches the
preload air gap. If significant settling occurs, the preload must be dumped before the

hull is jacked to its preload air gap again, and the procedure repeated until no settling
occurs.
For units that can jack with full preload, preload is pumped into the hull while the
hull is still in the water. The hull is then jacked up, usually stopping for a short time
at certain pre-arranged drafts. This continues until the hull is at the preload air gap
and holds the preload for the holding period. Once the preload is held for the
specified time, the preload water is dumped and the Jack Up is ready to be elevated
to the operating air gap.

Jacking to full air gap operations

Once Preload Operations are completed, the unit may be jacked up to its operational
air gap. During these operations it is important to monitor the level of the hull,
elevating system load and characteristics, and for trussed-leg units, Rack Phase
Differential (RPD). All of these must be maintained within design limits. Once the
unit reaches its operational air gap, the jacking system is stopped, the brakes set, and
leg locking systems engaged (if installed). The unit is now ready to begin operations.

Elevated operation condition

When the unit is performing operations, no particular differences exist between the
various types of Units. Likewise, there are no particular cautionary measures to take
other than to operate the unit and its equipment within design limits. For units with
large cantilever reach and high cantilever loads, extra care must be taken to ensure
that the maximum footing reaction does not exceed a specified percentage of the
reaction achieved during preload.
When the unit is performing operations, the weather is to be monitored. If noncyclonic storms which exceed design operating condition environment are predicted,
Operations should be stopped and the unit placed in Storm Survival mode. In this
mode, Operations are stopped, equipment and stores secured, and the weather and
watertight enclosures closed. If cyclonic storms are predicted, the same precautions
are taken and personnel evacuated from the unit.
On the below picture, all above mentioned levels about, mode of operation is shown.

Different mode of jack up operation.49

Class approval
There are many parties involved in the safety regime for jack ups. These include Shelf States
(national legislation), Flag States (national maritime legislation), Class Societies (class rules), and
International Bodies (international codes, e.g., MODU code, etc.).
Jack ups may not require a flag but are free to move in international waters when carrying flag. In
such case a jack up has to comply with safety regulations of the Maritime Authority in the country
whose flag the unit is flying (the Flag State).
Jack up drilling unit is normally registered with a Flag State Governmental Administration. The role
of the Flag administration is to implement statutory requirements of the government for registering
the unit. Normally, these statutory requirements are derived from internationally agreed regulations
developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Today, Flag Administrations largely
delegate the tasks of verification of compliance with IMO Conventions to classification societies.
Classification societies also issue Loadline, Tonnage and Marpol certificates on behalf of Flag
Administrations. Besides classification and statutory requirements, some governments require
drilling units, regardless of flag, operating in their territorial waters to comply with their own safety
and pollution requirements. A typical example is in the UK. The UK Health and Safety Executives
Offshore Division enforces health and safety laws on offshore installations, including jack up
drilling units.
Classification societies are independent, third party organizations that serve as a verification system
for a number of parties who have special interest in the safety and quality of jack ups. These may
include regulatory authorities, insurance underwriters, owners, building yards and sub-contractors,
finance institutions, and charterers.

Classification societies
Classification is a comprehensive verification service providing assurance that a set
of requirements laid down in rules and standards established by the classification
society are met during design and construction and maintained during operation of
the jack up. The rules and standards ensure safety against hazards to the unit,
personnel and the environment.
Each classification society, such as the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det
Norske Veritas (DNV), Lloyds Register (LR), etc., has its own rules for
classification of jack ups. However, many aspects of classification rules of different
classification societies are harmonized through the International Association of
Classification Societies (IACS).

Like ships and other marine structures, jack up drilling units are designed and
constructed to satisfy the rules of classification societies. While classification
certificates issued by a classification society attest to compliance with such Rules,
they also indicate that the unit meets a minimum industry standard for structural and
mechanical fitness. To maintain the unit in class, classification societies require
periodical surveys to check that the unit is adequately maintained. The class
structural scope includes structural strength, materials, welding, fabrication and
corrosion protection for jack up hull, superstructures, legs, spud cans, etc. The rigs
ultimate strength in different operation modes, like storm survival, elevated
operations, transit, preloading and jacking, etc. are considered. Possible accidental
conditions and fatigue are also examined. Design conditions used as bases for the
strength approval, such as hull weights, water depths, environmental conditions, etc.,
are presented in the rigs operation manual. Assumed foundation fixities may be
considered and in such cases included in the operation manual. However, foundation
capacity and safety is not part of class structural approval for a jack up rig. It is the
owners responsibility to operate the jack up within the conditions used as basis for
class approval, and to confirm that the unit can safely operate at a particular site.
Classification rules (e.g. ABS Rules for Building and Classing Mobile Offshore
Drilling Units) typically address the following areas:
o Materials of construction and fabrication
o Structural integrity
o Afloat stability
o Safety issue such as structural fire protection and means of escape
o Machinery and systems
o Periodical survey
Since jack up units are mobile in nature and can be expected to operate in any part of
the world, the rules for structures are not associated with the environmental,
geotechnical and operational conditions of any specific area. The owner and designer
define the environmental and operational conditions to which the unit has been
designed; these are the design criteria and theoretical operating envelope of the unit.
Designers and owners must assess the desired operating modes and site conditions to
ensure they are within the approved envelope. Classification rules require global
analyses of the primary structure of the unit in the jacked up and afloat modes of
operation. In the transit (afloat) condition leg structures are assumed subjected to

defined roll characteristics and gravity bending moment, with correspondingly more
demanding criteria in severe storm condition. In addition to the global structural
analysis, fatigue analyses are required for classification of all new construction jack
ups. Machinery and systems classification requirements are derived mainly from
rules for ships, except for specific equipment, such as jacking gears, and safety
requirements related to hazards of drilling operations, such as definition of hazardous
areas and the installation of electrical equipment in such areas, high pressure piping
systems related to drilling, fire safety systems, emergency shutdown systems, and
others.
Classification rules impose stability criteria for jack up units in all afloat conditions,
including temporary conditions, such as lowering leg structures. Two sets of criteria
are specified: intact stability and damage stability criteria. While classification of a
jack up unit signifies its compliance with a set of minimum standards (Classification
Rules), it does not imply that the jack up is adequate to operate in any specific area.
In fact, in each case, the owner/operator of the unit should assess the adequacy of the
jack up taking into consideration the water depth, environmental, geotechnical,
seismic and climatic conditions of the area of operation. For this purpose, industry
has developed a standard: SNAME T&R Bulletin 5-5A Guidelines for Site Specific
Assessment of Mobile Drilling Units, which can be used as a guide for performing
such assessments (See 5.2 Site Specific Assessment below).

Site specific assessment

When a jack up is to operate at a particular location, the Shelf State Legislation of
the country in which it is to operate will regulate the activity. Industrialized countries
are normally well regulated and have comprehensive rules for activities on the
continental shelf, while other countries may have less developed regulations and it
will be the oil company / owners responsibility to define the documentation basis
for the site assessment. Both shelf state legislation and oil company / owners
specification may refer to their own regulations or international guidelines like
Recommended Practice (RP) for the Site Specific Assessment of Mobile Jack Up
Units (SNAME Technical and Research Bulletin 5-5A) issued by The Society of
Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) for site assessment of jack ups. In
some cases Class Rules and other standards are also considered.

As the name indicates, a Site Specific Assessment is an evaluation of the capability

of a jack up in the elevated condition to meet a set of standards for structural strength
of the jack up and foundation (soil strength of the site) supporting the jack up at a
particular site. In general, the rig owner will be given the environmental conditions
that must be met, along with the soil information needed to perform the assessment.
It is not uncommon for oil companies to have in-house criteria modifying the
SNAME RP to better reflect their risk philosophy. The main objective of the
SNAME RP is to document foundation capacities and global structural strength for
jack up site operations. In cases where the rigs loads, actual environmental condition
and soil conditions fall clearly within the basis for class approval of the structure, it
may be that only foundation capacities need to be considered.
FIELD MOVES
Classification rules require that jack up drilling units meet the intact and damage
stability criteria outlined in the rules. To meet typical intact stability requirements,
jack up units must be capable of withstanding a wind velocity of not less than 36 m/s
(70 kn) for field transit and 51.5 m/s (100 kn) in severe storm (ocean tow)
conditions. Typically leg strength for transit conditions must meet the following:
9 Field Transit Leg strength is to be developed to withstand a bending
moment caused by a 6-degree single amplitude roll or pitch at the natural
period of the unit plus 120% of the gravity moment at that angle of
inclination of the legs.
9 Severe Storm (Ocean Transit) Legs are to withstand acceleration and
gravity bending moments resulting from the motions in the most severe
anticipated environmental transit conditions, together with wind moments
corresponding to a velocity of not less than 51.5 m/s (100 kn). During dry
tows, classification societies consider the jack up as cargo on the transport
vessel and are not normally requested to review field or ocean transit
arrangements. This is normally carried out by Warranty Surveyors. However
at the completion of an ocean tow, classification societies usually require a
comprehensive survey of the legs, leg to hull connections, the jack house to
hull connections, and any other areas deemed to be highly stressed during the
tow.
Warranty survey companies are often requested to approve wet and dry tow arrangement and
weather predictions of transit routes. Areas that warranty surveyors normally review and approve

for wet tow are: hold down arrangements of cantileversand any cargo on the deck. The warranty
surveyor also ensures that the jack up meets the classification rule requirements for intact and
damage stability. For dry tows warranty survey companies review and approve such things as the
motions of the transportation vessel, cribbing, size of towing tug and towlines, and weather en
route. The weather en route and motions of the jack up and/or towing vessel are carefully monitored
throughout the duration of the tow.

Global pearl (GSF High Island III) Drilling Rig

Arriving late September 2005 in the Gulf of Mexico, Rita sliced through one of the busiest oil
and gas regions as a Category 5 hurricane, bringing 155 mph winds and 60 foot seas. Rita
caused significant damage offshore including:

66 platforms destroyed, with 32 more suffering extensive damage.

13 MODUs broke their moorings and were set adrift.

1 jackup rig was sunk, with 7 jack-ups and 2 semi-subs experiencing extensive damage.
One of those rigs that endure rita was global pearl rig. The High Island was evacuated before
Rita and was also broken off its legs before being set adrift. It sustained major damage,
including the loss of its derrick was found run aground in a self-created trench in shallow
waters off the Louisiana coast. The High Island has gone on to share a similar fate as the
Adriatic VII. Its derrick was not salvaged and is now an underwater obstruction. The legs of
the rig were salvaged in October 2006 by Smit. The hull of the rig was towed back to Port
Arthur shipyard, Texas and sat alongside Adriatic VII. By September 2006, GSF had decided
to dispose of the High Island III and was evaluating whether to sell the remains or declare the

rig a constructive total loss for insurance purposes. On the continuation of this section some
information about global pearl rig has been mentioned.

Global Petrotech Company has planned to repair and upgrade this rig. Main Upgrading plane on the
global pearl can be described as below,the rig was originally designed to work as a drilling in 250 ft
water-depth in hurricane conditions of Gulf of Mexico.
EXISTING SPECS

The objective of this design study is to upgrade following items of the existing design for
the Persian Gulf requirements.

As a result of the upgrades (extra leg length and cantilever modifications ) and additional weights it
is likely that the rig will need sponsons during transit conditions to enable it to meet wet tow"
stability requirements and to keep draft to within reasonable limits. The loading of the cantilever is
converted into loading at the push up and hold down points. The new cantilever loading will be to
would be able to support a maximum of 1000 kips consisting of combined hook+ setback + pipe
rack load. The cantilever would be able to reach 45' aft of the transom and 24 transversely both
ides. With regarding to below diagram, there is free space for new cantilever.

The maximum Spud leg footing reaction = 7100 Kips (Present) The reactions at the spud cans for
the combination of static and environmental cases will be determined to check whether value will
increase for the revised parameters and also With the jacking variable load distribution & new
lightship values including increased cantilever weights, an estimate on the leg reactions at the
jacking cylinder location will be made in order to estimate the jacking system design and working
pressures and loads.
For the repair and up grading of jack up a table has been provided and works and activities in some
important subject have been categorized according to below:
1- Hull related (will be detailed as Series 1000)
2-Legs, Spud cans, Jacking system, RW tower, Cranes (will be detailed as series 2000)
3-Cantilever, skidding, Drilling package HP/LP mud &Well control (will be detailed as series3000)
4-Power Generation & Electrical (will be detailed as series 4000)
5-Instrumentation such as fire & Combustible Gas Detection system (will be detailed as series5000)
6-Machinery & Auxiliary systems such as Potable water tanks (will be detailed as series 6000)
7-Accommodation and HVAC (will be detailed as series 7000)
8-Life saving and other systems (will be detailed as series 8000)
9-Painting (will be detailed as series 9000)
The jack up unit condition is much more complicated than can be describe, because all above
mentioned work has more subtitle as below; and in this section we just try to entitle them.

1000. HULL RELATED

1001. Detail of steel replacement
1100 Hull Accessories
1101 Hinged hatch covers - Cargo Hatches, Preload tank covers
1102 Flat plate Deck Hatch covers
1103 Handrails & Bulwarks
1104 Deck Houses Paint locker & Deck store, welding shop
1105 Watertight door
1106 Tank vents, sounding tubes & depth indicators (PLT & Mud pit)
1200 Main deck Marine related
1201 Anchor Winches
1202 Anchors & Anchor racks
1203 Fair leads
1204 Smit towing Brackets

1205 Towing Guides (Panama Chocks)

1206 Anchor Buoys & pendant wires
1207 Towing Bridle
1208 Emergency Towing Arrangement
1209 Deck Bollards

2000. LEGS, JACKING SYSTEM, RAW WATER TOWER & CRANE

2100 Leg installation procedure
2200 Spud can installation procedure
2300 Jack house & Guides
2301 Jack Case Structure & Accessories
2302 Jack House Support on Main Deck
2303 Leg Guides Upper guides and Lower Guides
2304 Walkways & Platforms
2400 Jacking System
2401 Gearboxes & Pinions
2402 Electrical Jacking Motors
2403 Jacking Console
2405 Electrical cables and Junction Boxes
2406 Anode installation plan
2500 Raw Water system (Sea water)
2501 Raw water Tower structure 129 ft
2502 RW Pumps
2503 RW Gearboxes & Motors (2)
2505 Raw water pumps Electric submersible
2600 DECK CRANES
2601 Port Deck Crane
2602 Starboard Deck Crane
2603 Forward Deck Crane
2604 Electrical & Instrumentation
2605 Crane load testing

3000. Cantilever & longitudinal skidding

3001 Main Cantilever beams

3002 Hold Down & Push-up Structures

3004 Cantilever walkways, staircase & platforms
3005 Cantilever skid rails
3006 V-Door Ramp & Supports
3007 Accumulator platform & Trip tank platform
3010 Longitudinal Skidder Unit Foundation & Supports
3011 Longitudinal Skidder Unit
3020 Sub base Structure
3021 Sub base Structure Walkways, ladders, platforms
3022 Transverse skidder Unit foundations on deck
3025 Drilling Line Reel platform
3026 HP hoses hookup platform
3027 BOP Trolley beams
3100. Drilling Package
3101 Drill floor substructure & rotary beams
3102 Drill floor framing & Setback area
3103 Pollution pan
3104 Draw works shelter
3105 Dog House
3106 Driller's Cabin (Structural & Outfitting)
3107 Snubbing Posts
3108 Walkways, Handrails, Staircases & Ladders
3109 Poor boy degasser
3110 Derrick - Foundation
3120 Hoisting System
3121 Procure & Install Derrick
3122 Procure & Install Crown block
3123 Install Deadline Anchor
3124 Install draw works
3125 Install auxiliary brake elmagco
3126 Install Rotary table and drive motor
3127 Install travelling Block & Hook
3128 Install Top drive
3129 Install Drill Line Spool

3130 Other Drill Floor Equipment

3131 Drill Floor Winches Air taggers
3132 Mathey Slick wire line Unit
3133 Iron Roughneck
3134 EZY Torque
3135 Mud Bucket
3136 Power Tongs
3200 HP Mud System related
3201 Mud Pumps Existing Overhaul
3202 3rd Mud pump Installation related
3203 Mud Pump controls - Local
3204 Mud pump accessories Pop off valve, oil pump, water pump etc
3205 Supercharging Pumps
3210 HP Mud lines from MP to Drill floor standpipe
3211 Standpipe Manifold at DF
3300 LP Mud System related
3301 General note related to piping
3305 Mud Pits
3306 Mud pit piping mixing & transfer
3307 Mud pit mixing & transfer pumps Suction and discharge
3308 Low Pressure Lines in mud pit area
3310 Mud guns and mud gun lines in mud pit area
3311 Mud Agitators
3312 Mud mixing hopper
3313 Mud Shear system
3314 Mud Pit Level Indicators
3315 Mud Pit pressure control
3400 Mud Return & Mud treatment
3401 Sand trap tanks
3402 Bell nipple, Flow Line transverse & longitudinal
3405 Shale shakers
3406 De sander, De silter , Mud cleaner
3407 Centrifuge unit
3408 Centrifugal Pumps for above

3409 Mud Degasser Vacuums type

3500 Well Control & Testing System
3501 Annular Type BOP Diverter stack 2000 PSI
3502 Annular Type BOP 13 5/8 inch 5 K Hydril 5000 PSI
3503 Double pipe ram BOP's - 13-5/8 10 K CIW
3504 Mud Cross
3505 Choke & kill line valves
3506 Flexible armored Kill & Choke hoses to BOP
3510 Cellar deck BOP work deck
3511 Cellar deck 4 drum air winch
3512 Texas deck - Conductor Support Platform
3513 BOP storage cradles - PORT & STBD
3514 BOP tie down winches
3515 BOP hoists and trolley
3516 Man rider units for BOP work
3517 Trip tank system
3520 Accumulator Unit
3521 Hydraulic control lines to BOP
3522 BOP control panels Local, Rig floor and TP office
3530 Choke & Kill manifold
3531 Remote control panel for choke
3532 Well Testing
3600 Drilling Instrumentation

4000 POWER SYSTEM & ELECTRICALS

4100 Main Engine Generator Set
4101 Removal of engines
4102 Layout & foundation details for new CAT 3516 B engines
4105 Ventilation Supply and Exhaust fan
4110 Engine alarm panel
4111 Emergency shut down system
4114 Cold air start compressor & piping
4115 Lube oil pump, piping
4116 Engine waste oil & drain

4117 Exhaust muffler & Piping

4120 Engine cooling system
4121 Engine cooling piping
4122 Engine cooling platform structure
4123 Radiator details
4500 Emergency Power System
4501 Engine D 379 Caterpillar
4502 Alternator Kato 400 KW
4503 Switchboard and MCC
4504 Emergency generator room outfitting
4600 SCR/Switchboard/MCC
4601 General guidelines
4602 Power control room PCR (control cubicles)
4603 Silicon controlled rectifier system SCR
4604 Main distribution system
4605 Distribution switch board
4700 Transformers
4800 Rig Cabling
4801 Specification for power and control cable
4802 Cables for power and lighting circuits
4803 DC power cable
4804 Cables for control Circuit
4806 festoon system to rig floor
4807 cable drags chain system
4808 MCT multi cable transits
4900 Rig Lighting
4901 Lightning intensity
4902 Navigation light and obstruction light
4903 Heli deck lighting

5000 INSTRUMENTATION & ELECTRONICS

5100 Fire and combustible gas detection system
5200 Fixed fire protection systems CO2, Foam, Chemical
5300 Public Address and General alarm and telephone system

5400 Control room and radio room equipment

5500 H2S gas detection system

6000 MACHINERY & AUXILLIARY SYSTEMS

6010 Potable Water System
6011 Potable water tanks and tank coating
6012 Potable Water Piping Complete
6013 Potable water heaters
6014 Potable Water UV Sterilizer
6015 Waste heat Water Maker system
6016 Potable water Pressure sets
6020 Drill Water System
6021 Drill water tanks
6022 Drill Water Manifold & Piping Complete
6023 Drill Water Pumps
6030 Bilge System
6031 Bilge Manifold & Piping Complete
6032 Bilge Pumps & Motors
6033 Bilge alarm system
6040 Fire Main Piping System
6041 Fire Pumps
6042 Fire Main Piping Complete
6043 Fire Hose Stations & Boxes
6044 Fire shore connection
6060 Rig Drain & Anti-Pollution System
6061 Rig Drain Piping Complete
6062 Skimmer Tank & System and oily water separator
6065 Sewage waste system & treatment unit
6070 Sea Water System
6071 Sea water Manifold on Deck
6072 Sea water Transfer Pumps
6073 Sea Water Piping Complete
6074 Sea Water Cathodic Protection
6075 Overboard Preload Pump & hook up

6080 Rig Air Systems

6081 Rig Air Compressors
6082 Rig Air Dryer
6083 Air Receivers
6084 Rig Air Piping and accessories
6085 Rig air low pressure alarms
6090 Cementing System
6100 Bulk Mud & Cement System
6101 P-Tanks Bulk Tank
6102 Bulk Mud & Cement Piping Systems
6103 Bulk air pressure reducing station
6110 Fuel Oil System - Diesel
6111 Fuel Oil tanks & day tank
6112 Fuel oil pumps
6113 Fuel oil piping
6114 Fuel oil centrifuges
6120 Dirty oil system
6121 Dirty oil tank
6122 Dirty oil pump
6123 Dirty oil piping

7000 ACCOMMODATION, HEATING, VENTILATION & AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC)

7010 Accommodation Externals
7020 Accommodation Internals
7100 Living Quarters HVAC HVAC report
7200 Hull Mechanical Ventilation HVAC report
7500 HELIDECK
7501 Helideck Structure All steel work
7502 Helideck Safety related
7503 Helideck Landing markings

8000 LIFE SAVING & OTHER SAFETY SYSTEMS SOLAS REPORT

8100 Lifeboats & Platforms
8101 Lifeboats

8102 Lifeboat launching davits,

8103 Lifeboat Muster areas
8200 Life rafts & launch davit
8300 Other Safety Equipment Marine related
8400 Fire fighting equipment
8500 Miscellaneous safety equipments
8600 Miscellaneous safety equipments

9000. RIG PAINTING

9100 Hull External

Duty report

I was sent on duty to U.A.E on 6th April to 11th April. On the continuation of negotiation with
companies which had attended to global petrotech tender, I had to visit lamprell company and try to
survey some topics with lamprell employees.
As a result, the main discussed matter is mentioned below.

The quarter's modification has been considered on a minimum work basis with intention to retain
the maximum materials possible. The sub-categories to be discussed in detail as follows.
Architectural
General layout modifications:

9 A segregated AHU room of almost 12 sq.m on each level with provision

for utilities is to be provided centrally on all levels.
9 A separate AHU for the galley is stipulated as per IACS which is applicable
to GL has to be provided along with another one for the mess room.
9 Adequate space for fresh air duct to pass through the AHU room has to be
considered.
9 The roof to accommodate new fresh air handling units, condensing units for
AHU of each level, chiller/ freezer units.
9 Adequate muster stations to be provided near life boats of capacity 44 man
with minimum area of 3.544 sq.m area on both port and starboard in
addition to the davit launched life rafts of same capacity on each side on the
main deck.
9

2 fire station locations ideally on each side (port and stbd.) as per regulation
are to be provided as per new arrangement.

The laundry to be separated from the change room.

A separate riser location is to be arranged in the new layout.

Galley to be rearranged as per new equipment schedule and new galley

hood location besides the forward bulkhead.

The existing equipments and their model number have been noted. But the
functioning is uncertain. The requirement for new equipments has to be
provided by the client to make the new layout.

Lamprell proposes to add the existing 4 man and toilet space to the existing
mess room and have foldable partitions to separate the senior and junior
mess rooms.

Existing compressor room to be removed and that space can be added on to

the pantry which is currently used as a part of the galley.

New chiller/freezer rooms.

Recreation/gym is to be rearranged as per new layout along with new

furnishings.

Offices/ state rooms in the third level to be rearranged with new

joinery/furnishings/ceiling/flooring are: Service company office,Company
man office, Company man room with toilet, Sr. Tool pusher office, Tool
pusher room with toilet.

9 New control/radio room layout to be provided within the existing structure

Fire rating:

Doors used inside the quarters do not show the fire rating. The modified
areas will be provided with fire rated doors as per regulation.

Windows used in modified areas will be fire rated as per regulation.

Existing galley shutters/doors/ bulkheads are to be replaced with new A

rated shutters/doors/ bulkheads.

Tool pusher office may be used as the secondary control station and will
have to be provided with new steel bulkhead and insulation of fire rating as
per regulations.

Curtain plates provided to maintain B class rating in corridors in the

existing condition have to be modified to maintain the fire rating.

Draught stops are to be modified as necessary.

9 New AHU rooms to be rated to B class rating as per the new layout.
Insulation:
9

The under deck thermal insulation has to be replaced depending on new

penetrations and damage. The new insulation is 45 kg/m3 50 mm thick
glass wool insulation.

The thermal insulation around areas with layout changes will be required to
be replaced.

Under deck, Bulkhead rating of tool pusher office, emergency generator

room and control house to be ensured by new insulation of adequate fire
rating.(A-60 insulation- 60mm thick 100 kg/m3 Rock wool for bulkheads
and 40mm thick 100 kg/m3 Rock wool wherever required.)

New extensions on the roof for the lost area in the existing accommodation
to be thermally insulated as per fire rating.

9 Existing roof insulation have to be removed for new Schlumberger unit,

condenser units, fresh air handling units foundations and replaced with
new.
9
Wall paneling:
9

AHU room wall paneling to be sandwich panel of B class fire rating.

The existing sandwich panels used are 600mm wide and they can be
replaced with IMAC, Sweden make or similar. This is a long lead item.
They may be replaced with 550 mm wide sandwich panels.

The existing wall panels (almost 20%) to be replaced and layout changes
require further more.

The extension on the port side 3rd level has been done by pro-marine
board. The office and recreation will be rearranged and redone with new
sandwich panels.

The wall panels used in main offices, company man room, tool pusher
room, and control/radio rooms to be replaced.

9 The new extension on the roof to be furnished with 550 mm sandwich

panels.
9
Ceiling:

9 The existing quarters contain 3 kinds of ceilings- Promarine board, gypsum

board in the corridor, mess room, internal stair, galley and third level
extensions and Cermaguard Armstrong (Both 24 and 22) in the state
room and offices. The gypsum board cannot be replaced with the same
material as it has no approval from regulations.

The new ceiling tiles used will follow the same pattern with promarine
boards in the corridor. The ceiling grid used in the existing corridor is
damaged and has to be replaced owing to current condition and for running
new ducting and other services.

The rooms in the main deck currently have Cermaguard Armstrong (Both
24 and 22). Almost 30% damage for the existing panels and have to
be replaced. The runners are damaged in some areas and have to be
replaced to run the new services.

The lighting and diffuser in the ceiling will have to be modified and the
detail scope as per the respective disciplines.

Smoke detectors used in the existing quarters are battery operated.

New sprinkler system if decided will require nozzles on every room except
for office spaces. Detail to be provided by plumbing discipline.

The new modified mess room shall be provided with Cermaguard

Armstrong (22) tiles with recessed lighting and diffuser.

The Galley will be provided with SS finish Cermaguard Armstrong (22)

tiles with recessed lighting and diffuser.

The rest of the rooms have used Cermaguard Armstrong (Both 24 and
22). The damaged ones (almost 30%) have to be replaced with the same
make.

9 New Cermaguard Armstrong (22) to be used in main offices, company

man room, tool pusher room, extensions on the roof and control/radio
rooms.
Flooring/coaming:

9 Epoxy flooring has been used in the existing quarters.

9

New epoxy flooring to be used in the modified areas as per the new layout.

9 Quarry tiles to be used in galley and pantry.

9 The wet areas require new penetrations and hence change in the flooring.
9

The wet areas in some of the existing quarters have no coaming. They have
to be provided with new coaming and flooring.

New epoxy flooring with same color pattern to be used in main offices,
mess room, company man room, tool pusher room, extensions on the roof
and control/radio rooms.

Lamprell proposes new flooring in the wet areas and other high traffic
areas.

9 The rooms are water clogged and that is an indication of leaks. The wet
area flooring have to be removed to determine the state of steel underneath.
The steel decks may have to be replaced depending on the condition.
MAIN DECK & MACHINERY SPACES
STRUCTURAL
9

Raw Water Tower - Client needs to confirm extension of WT - Need

thickness gauging report

9 Mud Pit Capacity - Client to confirm increase capacity of mud pit

9 Cement Unit - Need Equipment details. Client to confirm whether the unit
is resting on main deck or will be elevated from main deck.
2. PIPING & PLUMBING
9

The actual condition of all sounding & vent pipes to be checked when the
tanks are accessible & the scope shall be decided based on that report.
Meanwhile the MTO of entire vent & sounding system shall be taken for
bidding purpose - Client to confirm

9 The condition of bulk cement piping looks good externally, however

thickness guaging shall be done & scope shall be decided based on that
report. - Meanwhile the MTO of entire Bulk system shall be taken for
bidding pupose - Client to confirm
9 Client to provide minimum ID required for high pressure cement piping
9 All fire hose boxes to be replaced
9 All Koomey unit piping to be replaced, all material will be carbon steel &
suitable for 3000 psi - Client to confirm
9

Client to provide new trip tank capacity & to confirm the installation of
additional pump.

There is no fire line on cantilever & drill floor area. Fire hydrant is
connected through raw water. Need to provide fire line to meet GL
requirement

As per scope of work only some part of compressed air piping is to be

changed. We recommend to change the entire compressed air piping due
high possibility of internal corrosion as the rig is lying idle for years.

9 Client to provide raw water pump curve & pressure required at raw water
manifold. This is to asses the existing raw water pump is suitable for
extended raw water tower length & additional raw water requirement
(Deluge etc.)
9 The actual condition of bilge piping inside & outside tanks to be checked
when the tanks are accessible & the scope shall be decided based on that
inspection & thickness gauging report. Meanwhile the MTO of entire bilge
system shall be taken for bidding purpose - Client to confirm
9

The actual condition of drill water piping inside & outside tanks to be
checked when the tanks are accessible & the scope shall be decided based
on that inspection & thickness gauging report. Meanwhile the MTO of
entire drill water system shall be taken for bidding purpose - Client to
confirm

The engine cooling system scope is only limited to radiator. This shall be
extended up to engine room as we are changing engine models

The existing sanitary water pressure tank is without pump & connected to
raw water system. We recommend to install 2 nos pumps (1 working & 1
standby) dedicated for this service.

The existing hot water system for accommodation is only form heaters. We
recommend to install a circulating pump in that system.

As informed by you, the thickness gauging for all LPM lines are done but
results were not uniform, Lamprell needs to redo the thickness gauging &
piping replacement scope shall be decided based on that. Meanwhile the
MTO of entire LPM (low pressure mud) system shall be taken for bidding
purpose - Client to confirm

We recommend to replace globe valve in mud pit suction lines by knife

gate valve (Already existing two valves are replaced)

The minimum capacity required for each fire pump to meet helideck & GL
requirement is 172 m3/hr (760 gpm) - Client to confirm if the existing fire
pump meets this requirement.

A booster pump needs to add in the fire line to get the required pressure (7
bar) at helideck.

9 The fire main header size to be changed to 6" from 5", as for above
mentioned fire pump capacity the flow velocity in 5" Sch. 80 pipe is high
(4.07 m/sec)
3. ELECTRICAL

9 New water heater to be installed in place of old one

9 Water heater panel to be relocated to new position at suitable height away
from flanges
9 Skidding system to be equipped with limit switches, requirement of
additional skidding and transverse motors are subject to study, change can
cause replacement/modification of skidding panel
9 Booster heater panel located in unsuitable position and polluted by some
leak, to be relocated and overhauled Power connection for new cement unit
to be arranged
9 Most of main deck/machinery space cabling are old and require
replacement
9 Most of pushbutton stations at main deck/machinery space are old and
require replacement
9 Anchor winches junction boxes/MCT's require replacement
9 Main deck welding workshop no job required
9 Main deck to be equipped with new sockets (except accommodation)
9 Main deck lighting to be totally new
9 Machinery space lighting
Option 1) Replacement of light fittings in bad condition, and DB's repair job
Option 2) totally new lighting arrangement, with new DB's

9 Raw Water Tower:

Option1) New cables to be installed instead of existing and those, which missing
Option2) New controls to be provided
Option 3) Elevation Control panel to be modified for case with additional pump