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Carnarvon Petroleum Limited

01/17/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/16/2022 18:57

Report from the Rig with George Mills

Our Buffalo-10 drilling campaign in the Timor Sea is now well underway. This week we checked in with geoscientist George Mills on his maiden rig deployment with Carnarvon to give readers a glimpse of what life is like on Valaris JU-107 as drilling progresses.Read his report below:

Surrounded by thousands of kilometres of ocean and a long way from Australian soil, the Valaris JU-107 makes for an impressive sight in the Timor Sea when you arrive by helicopter.

Jacked up about dozens of meters above sea level, the rig, which commenced operations at the Buffalo-10 well location in late December, is now home away from home for dozens of workers, mostly on two-to-three-week rotations.

As a geologist, I had a rough idea as to what to expect when I stepped onto the rig.

However, nothing really prepares you for its sheer scale, the constant buzz of activity on the rig floor and cantilever deck, and the continual humming of heavy machinery and cranes from above.

Conditions on the jack-up drilling rig are certainly unique - it's humid all the time so any movement on the rig causes a sweat and when it has rains it tends to be torrential.

Life at sea

When you are 500km offshore from Darwin, with Timor-Leste closer than the Australian mainland, you can be forgiven for feeling a bit isolated.

However, this is quickly overcome thanks to the friendly and outgoing crew and a never-ending supply of delicious food.

Transitioning from the traditional 9am to 5pm working day to 12am to 12pm shifts is also an interesting challenge. Sleeping patterns are turned upside down and your body wants to sleep when your working day is getting underway.

Usually, rooms are shared with somebody working opposite shifts but I lucked out and scored a room to myself. The accommodation block and rooms are comfortable with a bunk bed, TV, desk and an en-suite bathroom.

The rig also contains two recreation rooms, a gym and a sauna. Once I finish a shift, I usually head to the gym before heading to lunch.

By day three, my body clock acclimatized, and I also felt more comfortable exploring the rig and integrating myself with the Valaris crew and their daily routines.

The Valaris crew occupations are highly varied and imperative for the rig to operate smoothly. Examples include drillers, crane operators as well as welders, scaffolders and mechanics.

I've also really enjoyed getting to know third-party personnel who are out here on the rig and getting an insight into their different jobs and diverse technical backgrounds. These range from MWD technicians and directional drillers through to mud loggers and data engineers.

Responsibilities and campaign update

My daily tasks have been varied, which has given me a great overview of operations.

Responsibilities so far have included writing the daily drilling report, compiling casing tallies with the deck crew, assisting MWD/LWD tool assembly for the bottom hole assembly as well as assisting the well site geologists with cuttings descriptions and sample catching.

Drilling of the Buffalo-10 well started in late December and the campaign is going well.

We have completed drilling the 12.25" section and running in hole the 9.625" casing track. Once this has been cemented and pressure tested, drilling will commence through the 8.5" hole section toward the reservoir target, the Middle Jurassic Elang Formation.

The crew on board have done an exceptional job getting Carnarvon to this point and should be praised for their hard work and resilience.

Valuable insights

You really can't beat first-hand experience.

My first trip to the rig so far has been fascinating. Most importantly it has provided me with an enormous appreciation of the magnitude of work, the many complexities involved when drilling a well and the importance of lateral thinking to help troubleshoot a problem.

It's also provided me with a valuable insight into the many moving parts needed to successfully and safely operate a rig with each occupation having an essential role in rig operations.

Finally, it has expanded my knowledge of wellsite operations and drilling, which I can now tie in with my current geological knowledge.

George Mills will be aboard the JU-107 for the full duration of the Buffalo-10 campagin, which is estiamted to be 35 days in total.