Atlantic Marine Celebrates Dedication Of Glomar Explorer

dedicated its ultra deepwater drillship Glomar Explorer at Atlantic Marine's Mobile, Ala., facility. The shipyard is currently nearing completion of the third and final phase of the re-activation and conversion of Glomar Explorer from a Navy vessel. The first two phases of the project were carried out at West Coast facilities prior to the vessel's transit around Cape Horn to Mobile. The vessel was expected to leave Mobile last month for its first drilling assignment in the Gulf of Mexico.

Designed and built by Global Marine for the U.S. Navy in 1972, Glomar Explorer was part of the Naval fleet for the last 26 years. Global Marine now has a 30-year lease with the Navy for use of the converted vessel.

Part III of the conversion at Atlantic Marine took five months and included: •Installation of the vessel's substructure, drillfloor, active mud house, riser house and elevator and all drill systems piping above the main deck; Glomar Explorer Main Particulars Length, o.o 618.8 ft. ( 1 8 8 . 6 m) Beom 115.8 ft. ( 3 5 . 3 m) Depth 51 ft. ( 1 5 . 5 m) Draft 35 ft. ( 1 0 . 7 ml Displacement 50,500 It Design Operating Conditions Maximum water depth 10,000 ft. Maximum wind speed 100 knots Maximum drilling depth 30,000 ft. Extimated speed at full load 10 knots Capacities and Loading Data Maximum variable load 23,500 It Drill water 50,600 bbls Potable water 2,520 bbls Fuel oil 49,500 bbls Liquid mud 6,320 bbls Bulk mud 36,000 cu. ft. Bulk cement 11,160 tu. ft. Living quarters 140 persons Station Keeping Equipment System Moio propulsion (2) fixed pitch variable speed reverse/reduction propellers, each powered by ( 3 ) 2,200 hp DC motors Total hp 13,200 (5) tunnel thrusters each driven by a 2,000 hp DC motor; ( 6 ) retractable azimuthing thrusters each driven by 3,000 hp variable speed motor Triple redundant DPS and acoustic back up positioning system Total station keeping hp 35,200 Power Generation EMD MP 16E9B diesel engines rated at 3,070 bhp, each driving a 2,200 kw, 4,160V AC generator Nordberg FS-1316-HSC 4 , 9 0 0 hp diesel engines each driving a 3 , 5 0 0 kW, 4 , 1 6 0V AC generator Total hp 36,780 Drilling Equipment Drawworks National 2 0 4 0 , 4 , 0 0 0 hp Mud Pumps (31 National 14-P-220 Derrick Enfob Top drive National PS-2 Rotary Table National 1 4 95 Drill Pipe Backer Westeck horizontal Cranes (21 Seatrax 7 2 2 8 and ( 2 1 4 2 20 •Installation of a derrick capable of hoisting loads up to two million pounds, along with a new motion compensator to maintain constant weight despite vertical motion of the vessel; •Installtion of a top drive drilling system; •Installation of a horizontal drill pipe racking system capable of handling 30,000 ft. of pipe; •Installation of a marine riser handling system on the main deck; and •Upgrade of the dynamic positioning system (DPS) with the addition of four new retractable thrusters to allow for long-term stabiltiy in extreme weather conditions. The DPS utilizes a global positioning system and power managment system which maintain the vessel's location without the use of heavy anchoring equipment.

The Glomar Explorer project brings to four the number of major drillship conversion performed at Atlantic Marine in the last two years.

The three privious vessels were Transocean Offshore Discoverer 534 and Discoverer Seven Seas, and Diamond Offshore Ocean Clipper.