Elf to contract Sedco Forex for new-generation deepwater semisub

Schlumberger's Sedco Forex has received a letter of intent from Elf for a drilling contract covering five years for the new-generation Sedco Express deepwater semisubmersible, starting offshore West Africa in the fourth quarter of 1999.
The innovative features of this new rig will greatly reduce the time required to construct wells and ensure environmentally safer operations. The Sedco Express rig is a fully integrated drilling unit incorporating well construction services such as wireline logging, cementing, drilling fluids, and measurements-while-drilling and logging-while-drilling services, all managed from a single well construction centre. It has a water depth capability of 7500 feet. The rig's three 2200-horsepower, 7500 psi integrated mud and cement pumps together with its versatile mud system reduce overall mud costs and significantly increase penetration rates.
The rig's layout and drilling processes are designed to minimise health, safety and environmental risk. Sedco Forex engineers are implementing zero-discharge, fail-safe containment systems and noise and vibration reduction technology that provide a more comfortable and healthy working environment for crews. Double-skinned columns and pontoons, modularised deck components and automated pipe-handling systems reduce hazards and improve efficiency.
Significant improvements in the rig's drilling performance will be made possible by minimising non-productive time, thereby improving the overall well construction time. An unobstructed deck area allows the rig to store all the tubulars needed for deepwater drilling. A 200 foot derrick with dual pipe-handling/racking machines and makeup stations cuts pipe-handling time significantly.