Sevan Drilling's cylindrical drilling unit, the Sevan Louisiana (pictured), continues to encounter operational difficulties due to the BOP and supporting systems, the firm said today (September 8).
An original issue with the unit's BOP, announced August 19 and described as a control system leak, has been rectified, however, the BOP tensioner support systems still need further repair and replacements prior to operation, Sevan Drilling said.
Spare equipment has been sourced from Seadrill's capital spare pool, and initial indication for return to service is by the end of September, the firm added.
The Sevan Louisiana started operations in the US Gulf of Mexico on 28 May, and had achieved 89.9% technical utilization and 93.5% economic utilization, Sevan Drilling said in its Q2 results last month.
The Sevan Louisiana was constructed at Cosco Qidong Shipyard in China. In May 2014, the began working under operating under a three-year contract with LLOG in the US Gulf of Mexico.