'The Beast' rig sets a drilling record for ConocoPhillips and ...

'The Beast' Rig Achieves a New Drilling Milestone for ConocoPhillips

A ConocoPhillips drillsite operator celebrates the first oil from the Doyon 26 rig operating in the Fiord West Kuparuk reservoir on May 18. (Photo courtesy of ConocoPhillips Alaska)

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Recently, a rig known as 'The Beast' has set a record for long-distance drilling in Alaska, successfully tapping into a newly identified section of the western North Slope oil fields.

According to ConocoPhillips Alaska, the reservoir is projected to generate as much as 20,000 barrels of oil per day, which will contribute to the Alaska North Slope's current production levels of approximately 500,000 barrels daily.

The Doyon 26, a colossal rig ordered by ConocoPhillips six years ago for accessing a difficult-to-reach oil deposit, has drilled a horizontal well extending 6.7 miles underground. This achievement sets a new land-based rig record.

On May 18, 'The Beast' also marked the production of the first oil from the newly identified Fiord West reservoir, positioned northwest of the Alpine development.

The initial oil flow has exceeded expectations, with approximately 10,000 barrels of oil being produced daily, according to the company.

ConocoPhillips, which stands as Alaska's leading oil producer, has established several drilling records at the Alpine site over recent years. Horizontal drilling techniques are distinct from traditional vertical wells, allowing for extensive horizontal paths that minimize the need for damaging gravel drill pads, pipelines, and road infrastructures.

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'The Beast,' recognized as the largest mobile land rig in North America, is capable of drilling wells up to 7.5 miles in length, as noted by ConocoPhillips. This unique capability enables coverage of about triple the area compared to conventional rigs, providing access to approximately 150 square miles from a drilling pad roughly the size of several city blocks.

[ConocoPhillips prepares to deploy 'The Beast' on the North Slope]

The Doyon 26 rig working in the Fiord West Kuparuk reservoir in February. (Judy Patrick / ConocoPhillips Alaska)

The drilling operations were conducted from a small expanded pad at the existing CD2 site in the Alpine field, as per ConocoPhillips's statement.

Erec Isaacson, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska, mentioned, "This project introduces a new era we refer to as 'growth without gravel,' allowing us to employ extended reach technology to access 60% more acreage from a single drilling pad."

The Doyon 26 was constructed by Doyon Drilling, which is owned by Doyon, an Alaska Native regional corporation.

The transportation of the rig to the North Slope posed a significant logistical challenge. Weighing in at 9.5 million pounds, it was transported from its fabrication site in Alberta, Canada, in 270 tractor-trailer loads—approximately double the typical number required for most drilling rigs.

After assembly and testing in the North Slope hub town of Deadhorse, it was transported to the drilling site in large pieces resembling a Lego construction.

For more information, please visit Crawler Mounted Drilling Rigs.

Rig 26 – Advanced Oil Drilling Operations in Alaska's North Slope

Rig 26 is a technologically advanced, fully integrated, multi-modular rig, specifically designed for extended reach drilling operations on Alaska's North Slope.

The power system of the rig can operate on both diesel and natural gas while having the capability to run fully or partially on HiLine power.

The following details elaborate on Rig 26's strengths and capabilities:

Well Capability

Rig 26 can drill on well spacing of 10 feet or larger, granting it the versatility to operate on any developed drill site on the North Slope.

Construction

• Rig 26 comprises five (5) support modules and an innovative two-piece subbase design. This design separates the traditional subbase module into a drill and BOP cellar module. The elements include the following:
• A specially designed utility corridor that permits all major rig utilities to be routed in one area for ease during transportation, operation, and maintenance.
• It features a contemporary industry-standard drilling control system that employs advanced technology, equipment, and software, offering operators unmatched control, consistency, functionality, and reliability.
• The larger drill module comes equipped with an advanced self-propelled AC-driven moving system, allowing components to be transported across various terrains, from standard North Slope roads to floating ice bridges.
• Rig 26 includes state-of-the-art equipment such as the subbase complex, power complex, mud pumps, mud pits, miscellaneous equipment, BOP and spools, moving system, and auxiliary equipment. Further details regarding module equipment, components, and configurations are available.

Subbase Complex

• Mast: National Oilwell Varco® (NOV) cantilever, 165-ft clear x 30-ft spread, HL max 1.3M lbs., and racking capacity of 35,000 ft.
• Drawworks: National Oilwell Varco® (NOV), ADS-30D, 650-ton HP, with 1-5/8-inch LeBus® grooving.
• Block: National Oilwell Varco® (NOV), TB650, with a capacity of 650 tons.
• Drill line power spooler: Contains a 1 5/8-inch drilling line.
• Top drive: National Oilwell Varco® (NOV) TDS-H, 1,715 HP, rated at _____ tons. Max continuous torque of 88,075 ft.-lbs. at 102 RPM, max breakout torque of 103k ft.-lbs.
• Rotary table: National Oilwell Varco® (NOV), RT 37 ½-inch opening, rated at 750 tons static, hydraulic-driven.
• Power slips: National Oilwell Varco® (NOV), PS-21 hydraulic, capable of handling pipes up to 16 inches.
• Drillers cabin: National Oilwell Varco® (NOV), Amphion® system, featuring touch screen controls and fully enclosed.
• Choke manifold: 3 1/8-inch x _____ psi, 2 1/16-inch x 5,000 psi, remote-operated hydraulic choke.
• Manual tongs: HT-100, two (2) each with multiple jaws.
• Iron roughneck (main): National Oilwell Varco® (NOV), ST-120.
• Iron roughneck (stand building): National Oilwell Varco® (NOV), ST-100.
• Floor-mount catheads: two (2) hydraulic units for tong make-up and break-out.
• Floor winches: two (2) 7.5-ton and two (2) 4-ton hydraulic units.
• Man-rider winch: two (2) certified 400 lb. units.
• Stand building crane: rated at 3,300 lbs.
• Rig floor (beaver slide) crane: free-standing jib rated at 5 tons.
• Floor access: beaverslide.
• Casing stabbing board: one (1) each.

Power Complex

• Primary power: eight (8) Caterpillar® C dual fuel Tier II Flex units, linked to Kato® generators with a total of 8,400 kW.
• Standby power: one (1) Caterpillar® C27 Tier II Flex, rated at 725 kW.
• Moving power: six (6) Caterpillar® C9 Flex engines, rated at 1,575kW.
• Hi-Line power: rated at _____ kVA, with two (2) AF breakers and two (2) _____ kVA step-down transformers (13.8 kV to 600v), alongside four (4) harmonic filters.

Mud Pumps

• Mud pumps: four (4) National Oilwell Varco® (NOV) 14P-220 Quadplex, rated _____ hp at _____ psi input.

Mud Pits

• Mud pit volumes: 1,860 bbls active, pill pits at 140 bbls storage, trip tanks at 140 bbls storage, total capacity of _____ bbls.
• Shakers: five (5) Derrick DP 628 HG equipped with a hood exhaust system and custom flow divider feed system.
• Centrifuge: two (2) Brandt® FVS units rated at 150 hp, with a flow rate of 550 gpm.
• Vacuum degasser: two (2) Burgess Magna®-Vacuum units.
• Atmospheric gas buster: one (1) dual inlet Alco® atmospheric poor boy degasser.
• Shearing hoppers: three (3) LobeStar® shear mixers.
• Bulk mix hopper: one (1) Sackett® LB21 big bag unit with _____ bar capacity.
• Caustic mix hopper: one (1) Vortex® mixmate with 100 gal capacity.

AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT

Air Units

• Three (3) Sullair®, 60hp heavy-duty screw compressors.
• Two (2) Pneudri® MXP104 air dryers.
• Six (6) air receiver tanks, ASME rated to 200 psi with dimensions of 36-inch x 92-inch (240 Gallon).

Heating Units

• Two (2) 150 HP, 3-pass wetback, saturated steam boilers equipped with dual float controls and dual feed water pumps.
• One (1) Vapor Power® steam generator rated at 200 hp.
• One (1) condensate tank with a capacity of _____ gal, including filters and a soft water supply unit for feed water demineralization.
• Three (3) Tioga® module air heaters designated for the drill module (2.8mmbtu), mud system (2.8mmbtu), and pipe shed (4.2mmbtu), equipped with indirect fired air heaters, diesel fuel or natural gas usage, and a discharge ducting system for routing heated air to the module's interior.

Water Tanks

• One (1) heated water tank with a capacity of 600 bbls.
• Two (2) 3-inch x 4-inch x 25 HP centrifugal pumps for water circulation.

Fuel Tanks

• Three (3) _____ gallon, double-walled, UL 142 diesel Tioga® heater storage units.
• One (1) _____ gallon, double-walled, UL 142 diesel Tioga® heater storage unit.
• One (1) _____ gallon, double-walled, UL 142 diesel fuel storage unit.
• Two (2) _____ gallon, double-walled, UL 142 diesel fuel storage units.

Hydraulic Units

• One (1) primary HPU located on the substructure, electrically powered with three (3) 75 HP electric motors, providing 102 GPM at 3,000 psi, with an 811 gal storage tank included. This system powers the iron roughneck, floor winches, catheads, BOP cranes, and the moving system.
• One (1) NOV 50 HP casing/power tong HPU located on the drill floor, offering 38 GPM at 3,000 psi, with a 177 gal storage tank included.
• The pipe skate is equipped with a dedicated HPU.
• Other module hydraulic requirements are serviced by a 20 hp trailer HPU.

Miscellaneous Equipment

• Vacuum and power wash systems for general cleanup.
• Mud lab available for use by the mud engineer.

BOP & Spools

• BOP Equipment:

• One (1) BOP lifting ring with a 150-ton capacity.
• One (1) Shaffer® annular diverter rated 30-inch x _____ psi, stud x flange.
• One (1) Shaffer® annular spherical rated 18 ½-inch x _____ psi, stud x flange.
• Two (2) Shaffer® NXT double gate units rated 18 ½-inch _____ psi, stud x flange, equipped with 14-inch operators and a booster.
• One (1) Shaffer® NXT single gate rated 18 ½-inch _____ psi, stud x flange with 14-inch operators.
• Four (4) hydraulic work platforms.
• One (1) choke and kill line.

• BOP closing unit: One (1) with ten (10) stations, rated _____ psi, and a 540-gal accumulator unit with remote controls located in the driller's cabin and toolpusher office.
• BOP test pump: Gardener Denver®, electric 10,000 psi with a digital chart recorder.

Moving System

• One (1) NOV PH-4.5-48 hydraulic pipe handler capable of managing drill pipes, drill collars, and casings up to 48 ft. long. It has a safe working load of 9,000 lbs. and is operated through the rig Amphion® system.
• This unit includes one (1) elevator, two (2) pipe ejectors, control console, and a dedicated HPU.
• A short side has been provided for working with specialty tools, etc.

Cuttings Pumping Unit (CPU)

• One (1) Green Earth® breaker mill rated at 100 hp.
• One (1) 150 bbls. cutting tank.
• One (1) 16-inch tank mix auger.
• Two (2) 6×8 Eddy HD pumps controlled by a 75 hp electric motor.
• One (1) trailer-mounted walking system.
• One (1) HPU delivering 11 gpm at a pressure of 3,000 psi/207 gal oil tank.
• All support utilities for the CPU are sourced from the mud pit module.

For more information on Crawler Mounted Pneumatic Tophammer Drill Rig, feel free to contact us.