300px
Discoverer Enterprise in the foreground on May 26, 2010, directly over the blowout preventer during the top kill procedure in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster.
Career <tr valign="top"><td>Name:</td><td>

Discoverer Enterprise</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Owner:</td><td> Triton Asset Leasing GmbH</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Operator:</td><td> Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc.</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Port of registry:</td><td> 22x20px Marshall Islands, Majuro</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Builder:</td><td> Astilleros y Talleres del Noroeste (ASTANO)
Ferrol, Spain</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Laid down:</td><td> 14 March 1997</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Launched:</td><td> 1 August 1998</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Completed:</td><td> 1999</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Identification:</td><td> Call sign: V7HD2
DNV ID: 19643
IMO number: 9186792
MMSI no.: 538002215</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Status:</td><td> Operational</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Notes:</td><td> [1]</td></tr>

General characteristics

<tr valign="top"><td>Type:</td><td> DNV 1A1 Ship-shaped Drilling Unit Storage Unit HELDK CRANE E0 DYNPOS-AUTR</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Tonnage:</td><td> 69,500 DWT; 63,190 GRT</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Length:</td><td> 254.4 m (835 ft)</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Beam:</td><td> 38.05 m (124.8 ft)</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Draught:</td><td> 13 m (43 ft)</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Propulsion:</td><td> 6 x Cegelec 5500kw, 1260vac
6 x AC Aquamaster 7000hp thrusters</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Capacity:</td><td> Liquid Mud: 2,447 m3 (86,400 cu ft)
Drill Water: 2,177 m3 (76,900 cu ft)
Potable Water: 794 m3 (28,000 cu ft)
Fuel Oil: 3,972 m3 (140,300 cu ft)
Bulk Mud: 453 m3 (16,000 cu ft)
Bulk Cement: 453 m3 (16,000 cu ft)</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Crew:</td><td> > 200</td></tr><tr valign="top"><td>Notes:</td><td> [1]</td></tr>

Discoverer Enterprise is a fifth generation deepwater double hulled dynamically positioned drillship (Astano FPSO design) owned and operated by Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc., capable of operating in moderate environments and water depths up to 3,049 m (10,000 ft) using an 18.75 in (47.6 cm), 15,000 psi blowout preventer (BOP), and a 21 in (53 cm) outside diameter (OD) marine riser.[2] From 1998 to 2005 the vessel was Panama-flagged and currently flies the flag of convenience of the Marshall Islands.[1]

Discoverer Enterprise has two sister ships, Discoverer Spirit completed in 1999, and Discoverer Deep Seas completed in 2000.

The ship was the first to offer dual rigs. The dual rigs which simultaneously perform various aspects of drilling a well eliminated the traditional one step at a time process and according to Transocean increased efficiency by 40 percent.[3]

The US$360 million ship gives its name to the Enterprise Class of large deepwater drillships.[4]

Deepwater Horizon spill response

File:Q4000 and Discoverer Enterprise flares.jpg
Q4000 and Discoverer Enterprise flare off gas at the site of drilling operations at the Deepwater Horizon response site in the Gulf of Mexico at night 8 July 2010.

The ship currently operates in the Gulf of Mexico under contract to BP. On June 3, 2010 after the lower marine riser package (LMRP) cap was placed on the ruptured undersea Deepwater Horizon oil spill it was connected via a drilling riser to the ship where oil was collected and gas was flared.[5]

Although Discoverer Enterprise is capable of handling 15,000 barrels per day (2,400 m3/d), the Deepwater Horizon spill is believed to be producing more than that.[6] The Helix Energy Group Q4000 is being configured to handle the excess. Q4000 is onsite because it was used in the failed top kill attempt.[7]

See also

References

External links

ru:Discoverer Enterprise