Chapter VII special marine equipment

EXERCISE 1 Read and translate the text, using the words after the text.

Special equipment and procedures are required when drilling from a floating vessel. It is necessary to hold the vessel on location over the bore hole and compensate for the vertical, lateral and tilting movements caused by wave action against the vessel. Vessel motion problems are more severe for a drill ship than for a semisubmersible. However, drill ships are less expensive and can be moved rapidly from one location to another.

A special derrick design must be used for drilling because of the tilting motion caused by wave action. The derrick is often designed to withstand as much as a 20' tilt with a full load of drill pipe standing in it. Special pipe handling equipment is necessary to permit tripping operations to be held safely during rough weather. This equipment permits drill pipe to be laid down quickly on a pipe rack in doubles and trebles rather than supported in the derrick. Most floating vessels are held on location by anchors. When the ocean bottom is too hard for conventional anchors, anchor piles are driven or cemented in boreholes in the ocean floor. The vessel is moored facing the direction from which the most severe weather is anticipated.

The placement technique without anchors is called dynamic positioning. The position of the vessel with reference to the borehole must be monitored at all times. Two types of aligning indicators in common use are the mechanical type and the acoustic type.

The equipment used to compensate for the horizontal and vertical movement of the vessel during normal drilling operation is as follows: A marine riser conducts the drilling fluid from the ocean floor to the drilling vessel. A flex joint at the bottom of the marine riser allows lateral movement of the vessel. The vertical movement of the vessel is allowed by a slip joint placed at the top of the marine riser. The riser is secured to the vessel by a pneumatic tensioning system.

The vertical movement of the drill string can be absorbed by a bumper sub between the drill pipe and drill collars. Heave compensators eliminate surface motion of the vessel.

A ВОР stack for a floating drilling operation is placed on the ocean floor below the marine riser. This ensures that the well can be closed even in severe weather.

The words to be memorized:

1. vessel - судно

2. to compensate - компенсировать

3. wave action – действие волн

4. semisubmersible – полупогружная платформа

5. to tilt - раскачивать

6. to withstand - противостоять

7. anchor - якорь

8. placement - размещение

9. dynamic positioning – динамическое позиционирование

10. alignment indicator – индикатор центрирования

11. marine riser – водоотделяющая колонна для бурения

12. ocean floor – дно океана

13. flex joint – гибкая муфта

14. lateral - боковой

15. slip joint – телескопическое соединение

16. to secure – надежно закрепить

17. pneumatic - пневматический

18. tensioning - затяжка, крепление

19. bumper sub – телескопический переходник-компенсатор

20. Vessel motion problems are more severe for a drill ship than for a semisubmersible - проблемы, которые создает перемещение судна, более серьезны для бурового корабля по сравнению с полупогружной платформой

21. heave compensation – компенсация вертикальной качки

EXERCISE 2 Answer the following questions.

1. What is required when drilling from a floating vessel?

2. Are vessel motion problems more severe for a drill ship or for a semisubmersible?

3. Why must a special derrick design be used for drilling?

4. How is the derrick often designed?

5. What equipment is necessary to hold stripping safely?

6. What is called dynamic positioning?

7. What are two types of aligning indicators in common use?

8. What equipment compensates for the movement of the vessel?

9. What are the functions of a marine riser, a flex joint at the bottom, a slip joint, a bumper sub, heave compensators?

10. What is placed on the ocean floor below the marine riser?

EXERCISE 3 Find the proper Russian equivalent to the given English terms.

1. vessel 1. водоотделяющая колонна

2. semi-submersible 2. гибкая муфта

3. anchor 3. поглощать

4. marine riser 4. телескопическое соединение

5. flex joint 5. якорь

6. to absorb 6. судно

7. lateral 7. устранять

8. slip joint 8. раскачивать

9. to tilt 9. боковой

10. to eliminate 10. полупогружная платформа

EXERCISE 4 Complete the sentences.

1. It`s necessary to hold…

2. The derrick is often designed…

3. …to be held safely during rough weather.

4. This equipment permits…

5. The vessel is moored…

6. …is called dynamic positioning.

7. A marine riser conducts…

8. The vertical movement is allowed…

9. … surface motion of the vessel.

10. This ensures that…

EXERCISE 5 Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. При бурении с судна необходимо специальное оборудование и особая технология.

2. При бурении с судов необходимо использовать особую конструкцию вышки.

3. Для безопасного проведения спускоподъемных операций требуется специальное оборудование.

4. В большинстве случаев буровые суда удерживаются над скважиной с помощью якорей.

5. Безякорная технология размещения бурового судна называется динамическим позиционированием.

6. Необходимо постоянно контролировать положение судна относительно скважины.

7. Используется два типа индикаторов центрирования.

8. Водоотделяющая колонна подает буровой раствор со дна океана на судно.

9. Вертикальное движение судна возможно за счет телескопического соединения труб.

10. Компенсация вертикальной качки предотвращает смещение судна на поверхности воды.

11. Комплект превенторов размещается на дне ниже водоотделяющей колонны.

12. Гибкая муфта в нижней части водоотделяющей колонны допускает боковую качку судна.

EXERCISE 6 Retell the text and discuss in dialogs with your group mates this theme.

EXERCISE 7 Prepare a presentation about special marine equipment.