Deepwater Horizon
Fleet Specifications
| The DEEPWATER HORIZON is a Reading & Bates Falcon RBS8D design semi-submersible drilling unit capable of operating in harsh environments and water depths up to 8,000 ft (upgradeable to 10,000 ft) using 18 ¾ in 15,000 psi BOP and 21 in OD marine riser. | ||
| Rig Type | 5th Generation Deepwater | ![]() |
| Design | Reading & Bates Falcon RBS-8D | |
| Builder | Hyundai Heavy Industries Shipyard, Ulsan, South Korea | |
| Year Built | 2001 | |
| Classification | ABS | |
| Flag | Marshall Islands | |
| Accommodation | 130 berths | |
| Helideck | Rated for S61-N helicopter | |
| Moonpool | 21 ft x 93 ft | |
| Station Keeping | Dynamically Positioned | |
| Max Drill Depth | 30,000 ft / 9,144 m | |
| Max Water Depth | 8,000 ft / 2,438 m | |
| Operating Conditions | Significant Wave: 29 ft;@ 10.1 sec; Wind: 60 knots; Current: 3.5 knots | |
| Storm Conditions | Significant Wave: 41 ft @ 15 sec; Wind: 103 knots; Current: 3.5 knots | |
Technical Dimensions
| Length | 396 ft | 121 m |
| Breadth | 256 ft | 78 m |
| Depth | 136 ft | 41 m |
| Operating Draft | 76 ft | 23 m |
| Ocean Transit Draft | 29 ft | 9 m |
| VDL – Operating | 8,816 st | 8,000 mt |
Capacities
| Liquid Mud | 4,435 bbls | 24,900 cu ft | 705 cu m |
| Drill Water | 13,076 bbls | 73,415 cu ft | 2,078 cu m |
| Potable Water | 7,456 bbls | 41,862 cu ft | 1,185 cu m |
| Fuel Oil | 27,855 bbls | 156,392 cu ft | 4,426 cu m |
| Bulk Mud | 13,625 cu ft | 386 cu m | |
| Bulk Cement | 8,175 cu ft | 231 cu m | |
| Sack Material | 10,000 sacks |
Drilling Equipment
| Derrick | Dreco 242 ft x 48 ft x 48 ft, 2000 kips GNC |
| Drawworks | Hitec active heave compensating drawworks, 6900 hp rated input power continuous, 2in drilling line |
| Motion Compensator | Hitec ASA Active Heave Compensator, 13.7 ft stroke, 500 st operating, 1000 st locked |
| Top Drive | Varco TDS-8S, 750 st, 1150 hp with PH-100 pipe handler |
| Rotary | Varco RST, 60.5in opening, 1000 st |
| Pipe Handling | 2 x Varco PRS-6i Pipe Packers; Varco AR-3200 Iron Roughneck |
| Mud Pumps | 4 x Continental Emsco FC-2200, 7500 psi |
| Shale Shakers | 7 x Brandt LCM-2D CS linear motion / cascading shakers |
| Desander | 2 x Brandt SRS-3 with 6 x 12in cones |
| Desilter | Brandt LCM-2D/LMC with 40 x 4in cones over one linear motion shaker, 2400 gpm |
| Mud Cleaner | See Desilter |
| BOP | 2 x Cameron Type TL 18 ¾in 15K double preventers; 1 x Cameron Type TL 18 ¾in 15K single preventer; 1 x Cameron DWHC 18 ¾in 15K wellhead connector |
| LMRP | 2 x Cameron DL 18 ¾in 10K annular; 1 x Cameron HC 18 ¾in 10K connector |
| Diverter | Hydril 60 with 21 ¼in max bore size, 500 psi WP and 18in flowline and two outlets |
| Control System | Cameron Multiplex Control System |
| Riser | Vetco HMF-Classs H 21in OD riser; 90 ft long joints with C&K and booster and hydraulic supply lines |
| Riser Tensioners |
6 x Hydralift Inline, 50f t stroke, 800 kips each |
| Guideline Tensioners |
N/A |
| Podline Tensioners |
N/A |
| Choke & Kill | Stewart & Stevenson 3-1/16in, 15K, with 2 x adjustable chokes and 2 x hydraulic power chokes |
| Cementing | Halliburton (third party equipment) |
Machinery
| Main Power | 6 x Wartsila 18V32 rated 9775 hp each, driving 6 x ABB AMG 0900xU10 7000 kW 11,000 volts AC generators |
| Emergency Power | 1 x Caterpillar 3408 DITA driving 1 x Caterpillar SR4 370 kW 480 volts AC generator |
| Power Distribution | 8 x ABB Sami-Megastar Thruster Drives, 5.5 MW and 6 x GE Drilling Drive Lineups 600 V 12 MW |
| Deck Cranes | 2 x Liebherr, 150 ft boom, 80 mt @ 35 ft |
| Thrusters | 8 x Kamewa rated 7375 hp each, fixed propeller, full 360 deg azimuth |
| Propulsion | See Thrusters |
Mooring Equipment
| Winches | N/A |
| Wire/Chain | N/A |
| Anchors | N/A |
