Trelleborg, through its business area Trelleborg Offshore & Construction, has been awarded a contract to supply drill riser buoyancy modules (DRBMs) to one of the major drilling companies in the world. The order is the largest to-date for the offshore operation of Trelleborg and is in the range of USD 50-60M depending on final project scope. The drill riser buoyancy modules will be produced at Trelleborg’s facilities in Houston, Texas, U.S., starting in the first quarter 2014, and will be delivered through to the end of 2015.
“We are delighted about the contract, not only because we have the opportunity to apply our advanced solutions for exploration and extraction of oil and gas in ever-deeper waters, but also because of the sheer scale and prestigious nature of the project itself. We expect this type of large and complex solutions – requiring in-depth engineering and application know-how – to become more prevalent, going forward. It underlines our global reach as well as second-to-none capabilities within subsea polymer solutions”, says Fredrik Meuller, president of the Trelleborg Offshore & Construction business area.
A drill riser provides a conduit for the drill string and drilling fluids from the ocean floor to the rig. This has significant weight which must be supported by its own structure and ultimately by the drilling vessel. In order to reduce this weight in water to a more manageable level, individual buoyancy units in the form of drill riser buoyancy modules (DRBMs) are fitted along the length of the riser.