Water depth, availability drive use of jackup in Chukchi Sea

摘要

ConocoPhillips plans to drill one or two exploration wells in 2014 using a jackup rig during the open-water season in the Chukchi Sea. ConocoPhillips wants to drill on the blocks in the Chukchi Sea that the company leased in 2008. If everything goes according to plan, one or two wells will be drilled on the Devil's Paw prospect about 128 km (80 miles) offshore Wainwright, Alaska, during the open-water season in summer 2014. "In drilling terms, a jackup is ideal for the Chukchi Sea with water depths of 40 m to 42 m (132 ft to 139 ft)," Randall Shafer, ConocoPhillips, said during a presentation (Offshore Technology Conference Paper No. 23745) on "Use of Jackup Drilling Units in Arctic Seas with Potential Ice Incursions During Open-Water Season" at the 2012 Arctic Technology Conference in Houston Dec. 4, 2012.