The Aker H-6e semisubmersible drilling rig design is Aker Solutions’ response to the offshore industry’s demand for a new generation offshore drilling rig.
Aker H-6e on the Discovery Channel
The Discovery Channel broadcasted a 60 minute documentary about the Aker H-6e project in 24 European and Asian countries, bringing Aker Solutions’ engineering and management expertise to its broadest-ever worldwide audience.
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The platforms are specially designed to operate in ultra deep waters, harsh environments, extreme temperatures and at long distances from supply infrastructure.
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The platforms are specially designed to meet high environmental standards and can operate in ultra deep waters, harsh environments, extreme temperatures and at long distances from supply infrastructure.
In 2009, Aker Solutions delivered the first Aker H-6e platforms Aker Spitsbergen and Aker Barents, two of the world‘s largest, most advanced and most robust semisubmersible drilling rigs, to its client, Aker Drilling. With these units, the Aker H family is on its way to find oil and gas for the next generation, at water depths and in areas that were inaccessible only a few years ago. They are large, modern, safe and efficient, designed and built to drill 10 000 metre-long wells in water depths of up to 3 000 metres.
The unique hull design provides excellent stability, which ensures efficient drilling under weather conditions that would force less advanced rig types to shut down. The excellent motion characteristics also contribute to creating a safer workplace. Significant storage capacity ensures less dependence on regular supply deliveries. The double RamRigs™ enable parallel operation, improving operational efficiency.
Great emphasis has been placed on health, safety and the environment as well as on the quality of the units. The rigs are fully winterised and take particular care of the environment by limiting emissions and discharges. This makes them highly suitable for operations in sensitive environments. The solutions of the future are built into the rigs in everything – the choice of materials, construction processes and technical specifications.
Constructing the rigs has been a major project for the Aker group of companies over the last few years, with significant additional work for the industry in Norway and for international suppliers. At the yard in Stord, Norway, more than 4 000 people from 40 nations were working on the project at its peak. We carried out the design and engineering work in Oslo and Kristiansand, Norway, while hull construction started in Dubai. The hulls were built and launched, then towed to Stord. After a journey that lasted about 50 days, the hulls arrived at the yard, where the topsides had already been constructed. The giant pieces were then mated – one of the culminating acts in a project that had been the centre of great interest from day one.
Even the Discovery Channel followed the project closely, creating a 45-minute episode of their series MegaBuilders around the H-6e.