Trelleborg Offshore is delighted to report that Texas-based Diamond Offshore Drilling has agreed to extend Trelleborg’s exclusive licence for helically grooved buoyancy technology, which was developed as part of a collaboration between the two companies, until 2029.
The latest deal follows the successful manufacture of four strings of helically grooved buoyancy for Diamond’s ‘Blackship’ vessels, combined with an extremely positive market reception to performance validation data.
Diamond Offshore Drilling director of research and development Harris Reynolds states: “We are looking forward to working with Trelleborg to further establish helically grooved buoyancy as the solution of choice for vortex-induced vibration (VIV) mitigation.
“Trelleborg has been instrumental in progressing the design thus far and the choice was clear that we should continue this partnership.”
Trelleborg Offshore business group director for Houston Antony Croston added: “We are committed to delivering innovative and reliable offshore solutions for our customers and are honoured that Diamond Offshore has decided to extend this licence agreement with us.
“We look forward to developing additional applications using this design for production risers and flowlines, as well as solutions that can be retrofitted to existing equipment.”
Helically grooved buoyancy is the result of a joint development between Trelleborg’s offshore operation and Diamond Offshore Drilling that integrates VIV suppression and drag reduction with drill riser buoyancy, increasing rig efficiency without compromising on safety or structural integrity.
The design dimensions are optimised to ensure uncompromised uplift, while effectively eliminating riser motions and higher levels of drag in onerous offshore current environments when compared to traditional riser buoyancy.
The multi-functional solution integrates the technology to suppress VIV and reduce drag into drill riser buoyancy module (DRBM) equipment during manufacturing, essentially eliminating the requirement for ancillary suppression equipment, alleviating complicated and time-intensive riser running and retrieval procedures.
Please contact Trelleborg using the enquiries form for more information.