The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has entered into an agreement with Schlumberger to license ADNOC’s proprietary offshore drilling technology for use in Schlumberger’s portfolio of drilling services.
The Stabilising System for Deep Drilling (SSDD) technology greatly improves offshore drilling operations by improving borehole stability and reducing drill times, with significant potential savings for operating companies.
The licensing agreement was signed at ADIPEC 2016 by Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, ADNOC’s director of exploration, development and production, and Djamel Idri, Schlumberger’s general manager and vice president, UAE.
The licensing of the SSDD system represents the first time a proprietary ADNOC technology will have been commercialised abroad.
The system was developed by Fahed Al Ameri, ADNOC drilling department manager, and Farhaad Khaled Saeed Mohamed Al Awadhi, ADMA OPCO drilling technical support manager and is manufactured in the UAE.
Downhole stability has been a major challenge for offshore operators, where environmental concerns prevent the use of many additives to drilling fluid. The licensing of the SSDD system, through Schlumberger, presents an economic opportunity for ADNOC and a reliable solution for operators in many of the world’s most challenging operating environments.
