GSF Explorer trouble at KG well
Transocean deepwater drillship GSF Explorer has run into trouble at her first well for ONGC at eastern offshore KG basin deepwater gas discovery block KG-DWN-98/2.
Poor visibility meant Explorer took two days to 'stab in' the 20-inch casing at well M3. “She could ‘stab-in’ only on August 5,” we learn.
“But crew decided on August 6 to pull out the casing as drilling was slow because the (subsea) formation turned out to be harder than expected.” Instead, a 26-inch casing will be lowered.
Earlier on July 30, Explorer 'ran-in' the 36-inch conductor and 30-inch well-head casing. Explorer reached Kakinada on July 8 from Singapore and reached location M3 and ‘spud’ the well on July 22 in water depths of 524 metres.
ONGC hired Explorer on May 24 on a one-year contract at an Effective Day Rate of $434,000 to replace AMNGR-owned Deep Venture. Russia's AMNGR wanted an extension for Venture from April 30 to October 1, but ONGC declined.
