(TN) For the first time in Brazil, automated operations were performed on an oil well, using technology from the Norwegian company HMH. The maneuver performed with full automation took place in a well in the Santos Basin, and was carried out by Foresea’s Norbe IX drillship, which is becoming a pioneer in automated operations with the HMH system in the Brazilian offshore drilling industry. In addition to greater precision and consistency, the innovation provides greater safety for the operation and the crew, as it is performed without the need for anyone exposed in the red zone, which is the highest risk area on the drilling floor.
In July of this year, Foresea had already carried out the first tests on the high seas and announced that it should complete the automation process of the Norbe IX rig, with the full implementation of the technology, by the end of the second half of 2024. The goal was reached on November 21, when the rig performed its first 100% automated maneuver. With this innovation, drill pipe maneuvers and well drilling operations, which account for more than 60% of all operations on a drillship, will now be carried out without any personnel being exposed in the red zone.
“This is a major milestone for Foresea and the national industry in the direction of more sustainable and safe operations. In addition to greater efficiency, the automation of the equipment also brings significant safety gains, as it drastically reduces the need for workers outside the driller’s cabin,” emphasizes Foresea COO Heitor Gioppo.
Foresea’s Operations Director, Renato Costa, explains that automation also requires highly qualified members who operate and supervise the system: “Even before the automation was implemented at Norbe IX, our professionals were already being trained with simulator training at HMH in Norway. And even today, with the automation already in operation, they continue to train and improve their skills on 3D simulators at HMH in Macaé.”
AI-powered automation to increase drilling safety
The new automation technology, pioneered in Brazil in partnership with Norwegian manufacturer HMH, is composed of the Deal (Drilling Equipment Automation Layer) platform and two operating systems called CADs 2.0 and Drillers Assist. The first controls the automation of the drilling floor equipment. Drillers Assist is a set of software for safety and task automation, which in the future will use artificial intelligence to assist the driller in constructing the well.
Norbe IX Rig Manager, Clarisse Rodrigues, emphasizes that automation is the result of excellent work with the cooperation of professionals from different areas, all united and focused on bringing greater safety and consistency to drilling operations: “This is a milestone for the drilling industry on our continent and shows that it is possible to enjoy the benefits of technological advances with greater safety, efficiency gains and reduced exposure of people on the drilling floor”.
Norbe IX is the first rig in Brazil and one of the only ones in the world to have fully automated operations of the HMH system. With automation, instead of manually performing dozens of repetitive movements, the driller now has a device similar to an autopilot, making operations safer and more consistent.
Brazil Energy Insight 
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