Basic principles for assessing the suitability of jack-up drilling rigs for a design point
A jack-up drilling rig is typically used at a dozen or more sites during its operational life. It can therefore be expected that depending on its technical parameters and dimensions a drilling rig can find itself in various water depths, load conditions and rock types at the stage of supports construction. According to the standards, each candidate well should be subjected to some assessment to determine the rig’s suitability for the project site and to provide data in order to eliminate even the minor risks. Such assessments are normally conducted using the SNAME 5-5A Technical and Research Bulletin, British Standard and ISO 19905-1 that contain all the requirements for the right choice and operation of a jack-up drilling rig (JUDR). The paper considers the grounds of the correct choice of jack-up drilling rigs, the practice of their assessment and determination of their suitability for that or those operations. A comprehensive analysis of the accidents and incidents that occurred during the use of jack-up drilling rigs was conducted. Recommendations, that can help companies using jack-up drilling rigs to reduce the risks associated with the assessment of the rig’s suitability for the project site, are given.