ABS Issues First MPD-rReady Notation

ABS announced it has awarded the world’s first Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) – Ready Notation to Ocean Rig for the ABS-classed Corcovado and Mykonos deep water drillships.

The ABS MPD-Ready notation demonstrates drilling units have the necessary provisions in place to integrate equipment needed for MPD operations.

“Offshore operations in deeper water continue to lead back to a need for reliable and cost-effective technologies” said ABS Executive Vice President – Global Offshore, Kenneth Richardson. “The ABS MPD-Ready notation provides an increased level of confidence that the system meets certain industry standards related to integration of MPD equipment to aid in drilling difficult wells. We are proud to work with the team at Ocean Rig to receive this distinction and support ongoing efforts to improve safety.”

Traditional MPD techniques offer proven operational advantages for safer, more reliable, and cost-effective drilling of challenging onshore wells. The ABS Guide for the Classification and Certification of Managed Pressure Drilling Systems is the only standalone guide that provides specific requirements for MPD systems, subsystems and equipment in offshore applications for drilling in complex deepwater wells. The ABS MPD-Ready™ notation is issued when MPD operations are anticipated but operationally essential MPD equipment is not physically present. When such equipment is installed on board in the future, the ABS MPD-Ready™ notation streamlines the process to MPD notation.

“We are pleased to receive the first ABS MPD-Ready notation,” said David Cusiter, Chief Operating Officer, Ocean Rig. “Challenging offshore environments present complexities that require specialized drilling methods to increase efficiencies while enhancing safety. This distinction will enable us to gain additional advantages when integrating MPD technology and equipment into our existing systems.”