A Visit to Semi Submersible Platform

TerbaekWoo (Visit) - Salam all. For this post, I would like to share my experience visited the semi-sub platform at nearby Sabah, Malaysia. Semi-sub is a kind a MODU designed with a platform type deck that contains drilling equipment and other machinery supported by pontoon type columns that are submerged into the water. This type of platforms are the most stable of any floating rig due to their ability to withstand rough waters (Source: Rigzone). So for this visit, I had been assigned to to some survey on this platform before we mob our equipments on the topside. Under Well Testing team, this job considered agak challenging since we dealing with high pressure and temperature  during the operation so a lot of precautions to be taken.

We went there by boat from Labuan and took around half an hour to reach at the semi sub. This semi sub tengah buat preparation before move to the real field for drilling activities. From far, tengok semi sub ni macam kecil but after berada on the topside kira agak besar juga. Try to see this yellow stuff, but I forgot the name since I left Halliburton quite some time. Driver kot rasanya, arghh malas nak recall back the name. Siapa yang tahu maybe can put the comment. Benda kuning ni akan hold the batang-batang semasa kerja penggerudian ni. Drilling memang agak tough la and can say dangerous takut-takut kalau ada blowout ke then that i why they put BOP (Blow Out Preventer) to handle the downhole pressure. If you still remember back to year 2010, there was oil spill disaster happen at Gulf of Mexico (Macondo). But banyak sangat spekulasi berkenaan sebab musabab insiden itu happen. One of it yang I know they modified the BOP so as the result when the blowout happen, BOP cannot cut the line properly and it stuck. Then, apa yang berlaku- gas keluar dari celah-celah BOP and accumulate at the rig topside and exploded.

During the visit, sempat I took picture of the "Rotary Table" where the drilling take place. Bilik kat bawah ni they called "Dog House", padahal yang dalamnya orang. Kesian tak pasal-pasal dalam tu pun dipanggil "dog" :). On the bottom right tu lah Rotary Table.

After the meeting with Rig supervisor and clients done, and our mission was completed then we started to demob from rig and return to Labuan by speed boat. Along the way, sempat I snapped one photo of Jack Up Rig in floating mode. I think they must me mobilize to somewhere. InshaAllah, if I have time, I will share my experience visited the Jack up Rig on my next post.

So I can concluded that this visit really benefical to me as I can see with my own eyes how the Semi Sub looks alike and the machinery that they have. Before I left, sempat juga took one photo for kenangan.

Adios.