Introductory exercises

1. Match the words with their meanings:

1. pontoon a. якорь

2. section b. достигать

3. self-propelled c. понтон

4. unit d. отдалённый

5. waterline e. колебаться

6. stable f. отделение

7. anchor g. передавать

8. range h. датчик

9. soar i. ватерлиния

10. remote j. прочный

11. reasonable k. элемент

12. approach l. самоходный (самоподвижный)

13. sensor m. разумный

14. transmit n. подниматься

4. Express the same in Russian:

remote waters, relatively narrow, built-in units, to submerge below the waterline, to rest on top of the columns, to release anchors from, to soar over, reasonable speed, sophisticated electronic sensors, fore and aft, transmitted by the sensors, to require personnel, to involve drilling

5. Answer the following questions:

1. What type of drilling rigs includes semi-submersibles and drill ships?

2. How many pontoons do most semi-submersible rigs have?

3. Why are some semi-submersible rigs self-propelled?

4. What function do pontoons perform?

5. What do semis often use anchors for?

6. What advantages does a drill ship have?

7. Why do dynamically positioned drill ships use computer-controlled thrusters and sophisticated electronic sensors?

6. Find the following information in the text about:

1. the origin of “semi-submersibles”.

3. the biggest depth which semis can drill.

4. the reason why a drill ship is a good choice for drilling remote locations.

5. the function thrusters perform.

7. Make up a plan and report on it in brief.

Practicing in translation

1. Translate the following as fast you can.

Floating offshore drilling rig; буровое судно; semisubmersibles; буксир; the remote waters; self-propelled; якорь; to submerge; морское дно; a floater; носовая часть судна; a streamlined hull; на корме; a computer-controlled thruster; понтон; a built-in power unit

2. Give written translation of the text.

Drilling offshore dates back as early as 1869, when one of the first patents was granted to Rowland for his offshore drilling rig design. This rig was designed to operate in very shallow water, but the anchored four legged tower bears much resemblance to modern offshore rigs. It wasn't until after World War II that the first offshore well, completely out of sight from land, was drilled in the Gulf of Mexico in 1947.

Since then, offshore production, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, has been very successful, with the discovery and delivery of a great number of large oil and gas deposits.

Moveable Offshore Drilling Rigs

There are two basic types of offshore drilling rigs: those that can be moved from place to place, allowing for drilling in multiple locations, and those rigs that are permanently placed. Moveable rigs are often used for exploratory purposes because they are much cheaper to use than permanent platforms. Once large deposits of hydrocarbons have been found, a permanent platform is built to allow their extraction. The sections below describe a number of different types of moveable offshore platforms.

Drilling Barges

Drilling barges are used mostly for inland, shallow water drilling. This typically takes place in lakes, swamps, rivers, and canals. Drilling barges are large, floating platforms, which must be towed by tugboat from location to location. Suitable for still, shallow waters, drilling barges are not able to withstand the water movement experienced in large open water situations.

Jack-Up Rigs

Jack-up rigs are similar to drilling barges, with one difference. Once a jack-up rig is towed to the drilling site, three or four 'legs' are lowered until they rest on the sea bottom. This allows the working platform to rest above the surface of the water, as opposed to a floating barge. However, jack-up rigs are suitable for shallower waters, as extending these legs down too deeply would be impractical. These rigs are typically safer to operate than drilling barges, as their working platform is elevated above the water level.

Submersible Rigs

Submersible rigs, also suitable for shallow water, are like jack-up rigs in that they come in contact with the ocean or lake floor. These rigs consist of platforms with two hulls positioned on top of one another. The upper hull contains the living quarters for the crew, as well as the actual drilling platform.

The lower hull works much like the outer hull in a submarine - when the platform is being moved from one place to another, the lower hull is filled with air - making the entire rig buoyant. When the rig is positioned over the drill site, the air is let out of the lower hull, and the rig submerses to the sea or lake floor. This type of rig has the advantage of mobility in the water, however once again its use is limited to shallow water areas.

Drillships

Drillships are exactly as they sound: ships designed to carry out drilling operations. These boats are specially designed to carry drilling platforms out to deep-sea locations. A typical drillship will have, in addition to all of the equipment normally found on a large ocean ship, a drilling platform and derrick located on the middle of its deck. In addition, drillships contain a hole, extending right through the ship down through the hull, which allow for the drill string to extend through the boat, down into the water.

Drillships are often used to drill in very deep water, which can often be quite turbulent. Drillships use what is known as 'dynamic positioning' systems. Drillships are equipped with electric motors on the underside of the ships hull, capable of propelling the ship in any direction.

These motors are integrated into the ships computer system, which uses satellite positioning technology, in conjunction with sensors located on the drilling template, to ensure that the ship is directly above the drill site at all times.

Reference: http://www.naturalgas.org/naturalgas/extraction_offshore.asp

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