Rig selection and uptake programs assess a rig’s “fit for purpose” – suitability, safety, compliance, and performance. One rig selection and acceptance program looks just like another right? – so what’s the difference? What makes one program better than another, and does it really matter to you?
Failing to understand and recognize that difference can lead to very expensive mistakes, up to and including accepting a rig that is unable to complete your drilling campaign. Athens Group’s 20-year track record in asset verification and acceptance taught us that assessing the suitability and condition of a complex drilling asset is an integrated system engineering activity — not a checklist execution or the random opinion of a qualified surveyor.
What makes one program better than another rests on how well that program narrows down the set of available rigs. You want rigs with the fewest number of potential delays or negative impacts to your drilling campaign.
The truth of the matter is – you’re really not that interested in the general condition of a set of rigs, and you probably don’t care that they worked okay for the last guy. This is useful information, and can help inform your selection. A rig can be in great shape and have a stellar past performance, and NOT be “fit for purpose”. What you need to know is – which of these rigs can safely and efficiently conduct my drilling campaign?
Your selection and acceptance program must correctly identify the one rig that:
- Best satisfies the functional capabilities necessary to execute your specific drilling plan,
- Meets all the regulatory, class, owner and operator quality, HSE, and operational requirements relevant to the location and drilling plan,
- Will operate safely, efficiently and effectively, with minimal downtime during the scheduled drilling plan. and
- Will be ready on the day and at the location you need it.
The best selection and acceptance program answers all four of these points timely and cost effectively. The selection and acceptance programs that can do this are based on the fundamental principle of integrated systems test engineering – the sooner a process identifies and excludes the undesirable choice, the more effective and efficient the process.
A rig selection and uptake program based on this fundamental principle consists of milestones and activities, each designed to rapidly identify and exclude undesirable choices. Next, a comprehensive uptake program is applied to only those candidate rigs which are likely to pass with minimal issues impacting the drilling campaign. The result is efficient identification of the rig(s) that are both capable and ready to execute your campaign.
One example of this is a rig capable of handling a particular riser type, dimension and length; but not currently configured to handle that riser type, dimension and length. In other words – it’s not ready. Another example would be a vessel with current DP class and regulatory certifications, but those certifications are up for renewal before your campaign starts.
In the end, what is the difference in this approach to rig selection and uptake? If you prepare correctly, the result is not a program to determine if a rig is capable, but rather a program that determines if a rig is ready to execute your drilling plan safely, effectively, on time, and on budget.