Saipem 10000

**Saipem 10000**
	Saipem 10000 in a shipyard near Genoa (2015)
Ship data
flag	Bahamas
Ship type	Deep sea drilling ship in the offshore industry
Callsign	C6RC9
home port	Nassau, Bahamas
Owner	Saipem
Shipyard	Samsung Heavy Industries
Order	1998
Keel laying	April 20, 1999
takeover	May 10, 2000
Commissioning	2000
Whereabouts	in service
Ship dimensions and crew
length	228 m ( Lüa )
width	42 m
Draft	Max. 12 m
displacement	92,000 t
crew	to 172
Machine system
machine	6 diesel engines in the diesel-electric system with 42,000 kW
Machine ; performance	24,000 kW (32,631 hp)
propeller	6 propeller pods
Furnishing
Dynamic positioning	DPS class III
Helicopter deck	to Sikorsky S-61
capacity	Drilling up to 3,000 m water depth and 10,000 m drilling depth
Others
Classifications	American Bureau of Shipping
Registration ; numbers	IMO 9187605

The Saipem 10000 is one of the largest drilling ships in the world. The deep sea -Bohrschiff (Engl. Ultra-deepwater drillship ) is owned by the Italian offshore service provider Saipem . The ship is equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DPS) and, with its support, can drill 9,144 m deep at a water depth of up to 10,000 feet (around 3,000 meters). The name of the ship is derived from these key data.

The Saipem 10000 also has the capability of Extended Well Testing (EWT, dt. About expanded downhole testing ). With the EWT, for example, the volume of the reservoir can be determined or the long-term availability of the source can be confirmed.

Planning and history

The ship was built between 1999 and 2000 in the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in Koje ( South Korea ). The design for the Saipem 10000 also comes from SHI.

The drilling ship was signed by Agip for five years before construction began . The contract included an option from Agip for two more years. The cost of building the ship was around $ 270 million. On May 22, 2000, the ship was formally christened at SHI.

Structure and technology

Hull and derrick

The ship, which is 228 m long and 42 m wide, displaces over 92,000 tons (t). The draft can be varied depending on the requirements: During the voyage it is around 8.3 m and when drilling in DPS mode due to the absorption of ballast water it is up to 12 m. Since the ship is also able to hold up to 140,000 barrels (bbl) of crude oil , it is built like a modern tanker with a double hull . For comparison, the tanks of the TI Oceania , the largest double-walled oil tanker in the world, hold 3,166,353 bbl.

The ship has a payload of 20,000 t and can therefore carry a large amount of consumables (e.g. fuel or drilling water). This increases the operating time in the target area and the ship has to visit a port less often, which lowers the costs for the customer.

The derrick is approximately 60 m (200 feet ) high, approximately 24 m deep and 18 m wide at the base, and 18 m deep and 6 m wide at the top. It carries a static load of 900 t.

Energy supply and drive

The Saipem 10000 has a diesel-electric drive , which provides an output of 42,000 kilowatts (kW). The energy generation is done by six diesel engines from Wärtsilä (type: Wärtsilä Nsd Co 18V32LNE ) with 7000 kW each, which are coupled with generators from ABB (type: ABB HSG900XU10 ) with 8750 kilovolt amperes (kVA).

It is driven and positioned by six Rolls-Royce propeller pods, each of which is driven by a 4000 kW electric motor. The DPS used is a Simrad SDP-32 Class III.

Since the propeller nacelles are very heavily used by the constant DPS operation, it was decided during the last major overhaul of the ship to replace the propeller nacelles with six new TCNP 156 / M-380 nacelles bought from Saipem . The exchanged gondolas were bought back by Rolls-Royce, overhauled in the meantime and exchanged when the ship was next docked. By constantly changing the propeller pods without an immediate overhaul, the docking time of the ship is kept as low as possible.

Accommodation and helicopter deck

The living module offers space for up to 172 people. The accommodation complies with international safety standards and, in addition to the cabins, offers two relaxation areas, a cafeteria, sauna and fitness center. The helicopter deck is approved for helicopters up to the size of the Sikorsky S-61 .

operation area

The main area of operation is the Gulf of Mexico , the South Atlantic, West Africa and, during the summer months, the British sector of the North Sea and west of the Shetland Islands .

Others

Saipem was working on an even larger drillship after the Saipem 10000 , the Saipem 12000 , which was built in South Korea and delivered in the second half of April 2010.