The Eirik Raude , named after the Norwegian Viking and explorer Erik the Red , is a self-propelled, semi-submersible oil drilling platform that is one of the largest of its kind. Ordered on December 1, 1997 and laid down on June 26, 1998, it was launched on October 6, 1998. The platform was built at Dalian New Shipyard in China and then by Friede Goldman Offshore (USA) and Irving Shipyard Inc. (Canada) and put into service on September 26, 2002. It is identical to the Leiv Eiriksson platform .
The working displacement of the platform is 53,393 tonnes with dimensions of 83.77 meters (length) by 71.0 meters (width) over all. The travel displacement is 38,243 tons. The deck has the dimensions 78.55 × 66.50 meters, the two floating bodies in the shape of a catamaran are each 105.07 meters long, 16.0 meters wide and 12.26 meters high. The platform is driven by six computer-controlled " Aquamaster " rudder propellers , which can be swiveled 360 degrees and weigh 100 tons each. The propeller diameter is 4.10 meters. The six Wärtsilä diesel engines each have an output of 7,500 kW and drive six generators with an electrical output of 7,300 kW each. The depth when drilling is 23.75 m and 12 meters while driving. For drilling work in water depths between 70 and 400 meters, the drilling platform is anchored to the sea floor with eight special anchors, each weighing 15 tons, which have a particularly high holding force. At greater depths, the Eirik Raude is brought into position by its pod drives and with the help of GPS directly above a borehole and can hold this position precisely. However, GPS alone is not enough, since non-military GPS allows a deviation of up to 10 meters. For this reason, the Eirik Raude independently calculates its position in relation to the sea floor with its own measurements and corrects it if necessary. The platform is designed for drilling depths of up to 3000 meters below sea level and its cruising speed is 7 knots.
commitment
The Eirik Raude is designed for year-round operation in extreme weather conditions and is rented by various mineral oil companies , on whose behalf it drills for oil in certain areas. The regular team strength is 120 people. As usual on platforms, the workers stay at sea for 21 days and then spend a 21-day holiday on land. The shift lasts 12 hours.
The platform was first used from mid-November 2002 to the end of January 2003 in the "Torbrook C-15" field off the coast of Nova Scotia . The Eirik Raude carried out the most extensive operation to date on behalf of Chevron Canada when it reached a drilling depth of 6,751 meters in the "Great Barasway" field between June 2006 and April 2007. By the beginning of 2010, 29 deep-sea wells had been carried out in Canada , Cuba , Ghana , Norway , the Gulf of Mexico and four wells in the Barents Sea .
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