Welaptega Marine has saved a Gulf-of-Mexico-based offshore driller millions of dollars through a pioneering technology to re-certify mooring systems on semi-submersible drill rigs (MODUs) while they are on station.
It is estimated that the driller saved $10m in maintenance costs on one rig alone through a partnership with Welaptega and DNV.
Anthony Hall, founder and CEO of Welaptega, said his company worked with the client to develop the DNV-accredited technique for a top-side inspection programme for moorings on MODUs.
“The technique has huge cost-saving implications for the entire moored semi-submersible sector because it eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming shore-based mooring inspections,” he said.
This spring, Welaptega conducted the inspection on-deck during a mooring recovery and relocation to another well. It completed the SPS-compliant inspection on each of eight mooring lines during two rig moves for the drilling company.
Welaptega, the world leader and exclusive supplier of in-water mooring integrity verification for floating production systems, deployed its patented chain measuring system (CMS) to conduct the inspection.
“Our chain measurement system has a proven record in floating production and we saw no reason why we couldn’t deploy the technology elsewhere,” Mr Hall said. “Normally we conduct inspections underwater. This was a dry inspection on-deck so in many ways it was simpler.”
Welaptega is the only company worldwide that certifies moorings systems in situ for the floating production market.
Mr Hall said the MODU project is not only an important new technology for the offshore sector, but the process by which the technology was born is also significant.
“This was a case of collaborative innovation. The client came to us with a problem and we came up with a technology to solve it. And then we delivered. The client has realised huge cost savings and added value for its investors.
Welaptega is the only company worldwide that is accredited by leading offshore certification bodies (Det Norske Veritas, Lloyds Register) to conduct in situ underwater inspection and recertification of mooring systems and other underwater assets of floating production and drilling vessels.