The Atlantis Artificial Seabed system

The Atlantis Artificial Seabed system is a new concept for exploration drilling and field development drilling in deep and ultra deep waters.

The future of the oil and gas industry lies in exploring and developing deepwater prospects. To facilitate discovery and development of these opportunities the industry is challenged to find methods that can improve the availability of drilling units able to operate in deep water as well as reduce both the initial investment costs and the operational costs considerably.

A main cost-driving factor of most deepwater field developments is the drilling of the development wells and the subsequent well intervention requirements during the field life time. The cost associated with these operations can be 50 % or more of the total development costs. By utilizing the Atlantis System together with "shallow water" rated drilling rigs, the number of drilling unit able to drill in deep water increases and thus improve the possibility of tapping into the deep water prospects.

The Atlantis Deepwater System represents a unique and simple approach for meeting the deep water challenges of offshore drilling, field development and production. An artificial buoyant seabed the Atlantis Unit (AU) is installed at shallow depth, typically 200-400 meters, and replaces the functions of the real sea bed. The wellhead and the BOP are located at the AU and no equipment remains on the real sea bed. A tieback of the first well casing is used as anchoring for this “new sea bed”.

The concept can also be used as a riser tower, with or without wells.

Typical geographical areas of application