The project
In April 2017 Saipem was awarded a drilling contract in the Russian area of the Black Sea area to be performed in December of the same year.
Timely modification of the vessel was necessary to achieve the objective.
Specifically, the following operations were carried out: dismantling of the tower, lowering and restoration, installation of the wind wall and other updates to comply with contractual rules and local laws.
Key facts and figures
Project impact
As less than 10% of its equipment is from United States manufacturers, Saipem is authorised to drill in Romanian/Russian waters in a sanctioned area.
An extraordinary project
The project was a great challenge both technically and logistically; the passage of the Bosphorus Strait presented considerable structural difficulties.
The challenge was to modify the Scarabeo 9 vessel to allow it to sail to the Black Sea through the Bosphorus Strait, passing under the three bridges in Istanbul that link Europe to Asia, and to ensure that the rig complied with Russian requirements .
Scarabeo 9 is now one of the few rigs in the world that have entered the Black Sea, and it is probably one of the most flexible and capable units operating in the area.
Assets and people
Two project teams were used, one on board the Scarabeo 9 and one in San Donato, for a total of 20 engineers.
Scarabeo 9 is a latest generation semi-submersible unit equipped with a dual ram rig and a dynamic positioning system (DP3).
The Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) is an ultra-deepwater drilling rig, designed to operate in water depths up to 12,000 feet and with a drilling depth of 50,000 feet.
