Offshore drilling contractor Transocean said Wednesday that the world’s first subsea 20,000 psi blowout preventer (BOP) had been successfully deployed from its Deepwater Titan drillship.
The 20K BOP stack, supplied by NOV, is designed for use with extremely high-pressure reservoirs and can be used in ultra-deepwater applications
"This cutting-edge technology opens up new opportunities for the industry -- allowing us to reach previously inaccessible reservoirs," Transocean said.
In July, the new eighth-generation drillship Deepwater Titan started its inaugural contract with supermajor Chevron in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
Built by Singapore's Sembcorp Marine and delivered in December 2022, Deepwater Titan is the world’s second eighth-generation drillship, after Transocean's Deepwater Atlas.
The dual-derrick ultra-deepwater drillship is the first-ever unit delivered with two 20,000-psi blowout preventers (BOPs), well-control, riser, and piping systems for high-pressure and high-temperature drilling and completion operations. It is also equipped with a three-million-pound hook-load hoisting capacity and capabilities to drill up to 40,000 feet and operate in water depths of up to 12,000 feet.
Deepwater Titan is now operating on a five-year contract in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
According to July 25 data from the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Chevron was using the Deepwater Titan to drill at the Makalu prospect in the MC 937 block in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.