Noble’s drillship to get Kongsberg monitoring solution

Offshore driller Noble Corporation has contracted Kongsberg Maritime to deliver a real-time monitoring and advisory solution for the Noble Tom Madden drillship.

Kongsberg said on Wednesday that the contract reflected a growing requirement for deep technology integration on drilling platforms and ships.

The company added that technology integration through sharing vital data on board and ashore could result in a state-of-the-art real-time monitoring and advisory solution that would provide significant benefits for operational safety while reducing non-productive time (NPT).

The Gusto P10000 design Noble Tom Madden deepwater drillship will join Noble Corporation’s Noble Bob Douglas, currently working offshore Guyana for ExxonMobil, which already features the several Kongsberg’s software and hardware solution including a Riser Management System (RMS), Information Management System (KIMS), K-Pos Dynamic Positioning (DP), and K-Chief Automation as well as subsea instrumentation.

With the latest software release, the RMS provides extensive data such as real-time optimum position advice for different operational modes, flexjoint angles monitoring, tension monitoring with top tension, wellhead connector tension, flex joint tension, riser stroke/tensioner stroke monitoring, and connector loads monitoring.

The system also includes an alarm and data logger, riser planning tool with static riser calculations, a two-way interface to the K-Pos DP system and allows for high situation awareness in a 3D view.

The Noble Tom Madden drillship could benefit from the RMS’ Dynamic Watch Circles module, which, based on actual weather conditions, constantly predicts the available time for the operator to initiate an emergency disconnect in case of drift-off caused by a power blackout or worst single failure.

Stene Førsund, EVP global sales and marketing, Kongsberg Maritime, said: “Reducing non-productive time is critical in today’s recovering but still challenging market. Noble Corporation recognizes this, and after experiencing the diverse operational benefits of our integrated monitoring and advisory solution on the Noble Bob Douglas drillship, they are keen to realize the same when Noble Tom Madden starts its duties offshore Guyana.”