Subsea Glory Holes

A brief Overview of Construction methods used on the Grand Banks

Kevin Hewitt Frontier Development Group Chevron Canada Ltd.

Chevron 2007 Subsea Glory Holes

AGENDA
The origin of subsea Glory Holes
Used in the Beaufort Sea since 1975

Terra Nova 1998/99 (95m Water Depth)

Large diameter drill bit from the Sea Sorceress Trailing suction hopper dredge Queen of the

Netherlands

White Rose 2002/3/7 (120m Water Depth)

Clam shell from Seahorse fall-pipe vessel Trailing suction hopper dredge Vasco da

Gama
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Things not covered in detail.

Geotechnical conditions Productivity rates Survey systems Mechanical systems Technical issues Contractual issues Costs But I do have lots of photos of ships
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Beaufort Sea Experiences

The first subsea glory hole (Gold mining term) was excavated in the Beaufort Sea in 1975. The purpose of these glory holes was to protect a single subsea wellhead from keels of pressure ridges during the winter. Potential for scours in up to 50m water depth. Primarily used large diameter drill bits.
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20 Foot (6.0m) Diameter Drill Bit (or Drill Head)

20 Foot (6.0m) Diameter Drill Bit

Basically a rotary plough skewed steel disk cutters on a hydraulically driven bit face. Cuttings dragged to central spoil suction pipe and airlifted to the surface. Hydraulic power supplied by portable units on the vessel deck. Operates from a MODU and the marine riser is lowered on a special kelly. Rotary plough glory hole bits have been used successfully since 1977, as follows:
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Rotary Plough Glory Hole Bit History

12ft diameter skewed dished cutter prototype developed in 1977. 17ft diameter version successfully drilled glory holes every year from 1979 to 1985 no equipment failures. 20ft diameter enhanced design in 1986. Seven holes drilled to date no equipment failures:
z Dome Petroleum (Can. Beaufort Sea) one hole 1986. z Shell Western E&P (Chukchi Sea) four holes 1989-1991. z Chevron USA (Chukchi Sea) one hole 1991. z Amoco USA (US Beaufort Sea) one hole 1991.

Typical deployment vessel (Explorer II)

20 Foot (6.0m) Diameter Drill Bit

East Coast Oil & Gas Fields

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Large Icebergs are the issue

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Terra Nova production scenario

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First attempt at Terra Nova (WD 95 m) Sea Sorceress (now Intrepid), 1998
Originally the Arctic Kiggiak. A1 Barge; 116 x 32m; Used to clam-shell a glory hole in the US Beaufort in 1985. Four point mooring.

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Terra Nova, Sea Sorceress, 1998

The intent was to use a DeBeers diamond mining type drill system to excavate four large volume holes (in order of 20-40,000 m3 per hole) by cookie cutting multiple overlapping single shafts. System uses non-skewed cutters that cut by compression. Rather than an hydraulically driven cutting face, torque was applied at the surface. Result was a pizza pan on the end of a length of spaghetti. This design, in combination with encountering boulders and hard pan plus North Atlantic sea states, resulted in a failed operation.
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Terra Nova, 1999 (WD 95 metres)

The jumbo Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge (TSHD) Queen of the Netherlands was commissioned.

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Queen of the Netherlands (with Terra Nova extension)

Equivalent in size to the proposed 1980s Arctic Super Dredge but with greater depth capability.

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Queen of the Netherlands

A 173 m long, 23,350 m3 hopper with DP & DT. The 1200 mm suction pipe was extended to 140 m and included an underwater pump. Pipe composed of 4 sections, each about 35 m long. Dynamic analyses undertaken to determine operational limits and potential fatigue. System included extensive monitoring:
Directional wave buoy. Axial pipe force. Pipe angles and draghead position. Lifting wire tensions.

Queen of the Netherlands (with Terra Nova extension)

Worked in DT mode in a forward and then reverse cycle. Average cycle time of 12 minutes 1.5 to 2 minutes being dredging.
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Sailing into St. Johns, early May 1999

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Docking in St. Johns, early May 1999

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Queen of the Netherlands Extended portion of drag arm

Queen of the Netherlands Underwater pump

Queen of the Netherlands working in semi-submersible mode

Queen of the Netherlands - View from the bridge while at Terra Nova

Draghead details including boulders

Some boulders were quite large!

Completed 4 glory holes in 4 months!

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White Rose 2002/3 (WD 120 metres)

The extended water depth (25 m greater than at Terra Nova) initially excluded a TSHD. A system was constructed in 2002 involving a large (16 m3) heave compensated grab deployed from the DP Class 2 fallpipe vessel Seahorse (162m x 38m). Four thrusters provide precise positioning. Two lifting points one forward and one aft enabled material to be moved while the vessel remains stationary. Three Glory Holes were required Southern, Central and Northern.

M. V. Seahorse in 2001 Contracted for Rock dumping at Terra Nova

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The assembled 16 m3 Grab system in Huisman yard, Schiedam. June 2002.

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Installing the skid in Huisman yard, June 2002.

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July 2002 with the new grab system

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Trials in Europoort, July 2002

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View of forward lifting point, Europoort

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St. Johns, August 2002 after trials in Stavanger and English Channel

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Deployment sequence (outside St. Johns), August 2002

Nerve Centre on the Seahorse

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Southern excavation, Sept. 2002

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An atypical day at White Rose, 2002

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Heading back to site, April 2003

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Numerous technical problems were encountered, including fatigue cracking

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The consequence of boulders! 2003

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Another set of repairs in St. Johns!

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Incremental survey of Southern Glory Hole, May 24th, 2003

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White Rose 2002/3 (WD 120 metres) Vasco da Gama TSHD

Due to the requirement to complete all three glory holes in the 2003 season, the TSHD Vasco da Gama was mobilized from Singapore to dredge the central hole. A 200 m long, 33,000 m3 TSHD, also with DP & DT. The 1400 mm suction pipe had been extended in Singapore to 150 m as a back-up for White Rose, and included an underwater pump. Vessel transited via Suez Canal and Spain (which meant several people from Newfoundland had the benefit of an Atlantic crossing!)

Vasco da Gama (200m, 33,000 m3)

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Queen of the Netherlands (with Terra Nova extension)

Worked in DT mode in a forward and then reverse cycle. Average cycle time of 12 minutes 1.5 to 2 minutes being dredging.
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Vasco da Gama

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Discharging Operation

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Installation of Underwater Pump in Singapore, 2003.

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Installation of 1400 mm Drag-arm

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Deploying the drag-arm at White Rose

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Deployed drag-arm at White Rose

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Vasco da Gama draghead

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Retrieving the draghead

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Collecting Boulders! (Worse in 2007!)

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A larger boulder

A sample of hardpan

Fatigue!

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Transferring the problem (and again in 2007!)

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Returning to St. Johns for repairs

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Repairs at dockside

Incremental Survey

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Completion in September, 2003

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Grand Banks Summary

First Terra Nova attempt in 1998 was a failure. The Queen of the Netherlands completed five glory holes in one full season in 1999 at Terra Nova with no significant technical problems. Despite many teething problems, as a result of using a new and sophisticated system, the Seahorse completed two holes at White Rose in 2002/3. The Vasco da Gama completed one glory hole at White Rose, with some technical problems, in six weeks in 2003. Similarly it completed another glory hole in a two month period in 2007.

Heading home! Time for Questions?

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