FOREIGN AVAILABILITY OF ARCTIC DEEP ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE DRILLING RIGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T01058R000405460001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 2, 2009
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 7, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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I I
Central Intelligence Agency
7- NOV 1985
MEMORANDUM FOR: Richard C. Barth, Director
Foreign Availability Division
Office of Export Administration
International Trade Administration
U.S. Department of Canmerce
Director of Global Issues
SUBJECT: Foreign Availability of Arctic Deep Onshore
and Offshore Drilling Rigs
1. As you requested the attached memorandum identifies the foreign
availability of deep onshore and offshore arctic drilling rigs.
2. This memorandum was prepared byl (Strategic 25X1
Facilities Branch, Office of Global Issues. Your comments on this memorandum
are welcome and may be addressed to Chief, Strategic Facilities 25X]
Branch, OGI, 25X1
Attachment:
The Foreign Availability of Ar
ctic Drilling Equipment
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SUBJECT: Foreign Availability of Arctic Deep Onshore
and Offshore Drilling Rigs
OGI/SRD/SFB,
(12 November 1985)
Distribution:
1 - Richard C. Barth, Commerce
1 - Scott Sullivan, NSC
1 - SA/DDCI
1 - ExDir
1 - DDI
1 - ADDI
1 - DDI Registry
1 - DDI/PES
1 - CPAS/ISS
1 - NIO/Tr]E
1 - D/OGI, DD/OGI
3 - OGI/PG/Ch
5 - CPAS/IMC/CB
1 - NESA/PG/I
1 = EURA/EI/SI
1 - OEA/NA/K
1 - OSWR/TTAC
1 - SOVA/EPD/RM
1 -
1 - Ch/SRD
1 - SRD/SFB
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The Foreign Availability of Arctic Deep Onshore
and OttshorF Drilling Rigs
Companies in Canada, Finland, Norway, Japan, and South Korea, and
elsewhere have increasingly developed or adopted arctic drilling technology
and manufacturing capabilities. The capabilities discussed here exclude the
extensive foreign manufacturing operations of US companies, particularly in
Canada and Western Europe. We also have not untangled the web of US licensing
arrangements with foreign companies nor have we made an assessment of the
origin of individual components of foreign rigs. We believe that, except for
a few key items such as blowout preventors, the entire range of equipment for
arctic deep drilling rigs is widely available abroad.
Deep Onshore Arctic Rigs
The major foreign competition for US deep arctic onshore rig
manufacturers comes from two Canadian canpanies, Dreco Energy Services Ltd and
Nabors Drilling Company. Both these canpanies have the capability to produce
rigs that can drill to 25,000 feet in arctic temperatures of -50 degrees C.
these two companies have teamed up to canpete 25X1
with US firms bidding on the possible sales of arctic land rigs to the USSR.
Other foreign firms which reportedly have the capability to produce similar
rigs include Industrialexport-import of Romania, Villares of Brazil, and 25X1
that Rauma Repola of Finland and 25X1
Niqata Engineering of Japan also have arctic rig onshore manufacturing
capability. 25X1
Knowledgeable industry sources report that rigs of 25,000 feet drilling
capability can only be transported by heavy truck. The maximum depth of
helicopter transportable rigs, such as those
Colombia, is 15,000 feet. 25X1
rigs easily transport e y ruc or helicopter are specially 25X1
modularized and usually built to individual operator specification. 25X1
Offshore Arctic Rigs
Arctic offshore drilling rigs include drillships, jack-ups, semi-
submersibles, and a variety of mobile caisson drilling units which are
designed to operate in varying degrees of ice-infested waters. While most of
the technology originated in the United States, arctic offshore rig design and
construction capability is available from many countries. In fact, most
arctic offshore drillships, jack-ups, semi-submersibles, and caissons have
been built in either Finland, Japan or South Korea, rather than the United
States (See Table 2). The USSR has relied heavily on the Finnish canpany
Rauma Repola for most of its offshore drilling rigs including drillships,
jack-ups and semi-submersibles. Japan has probably the most sophisticated
capability and experience in fabricating specialized arctic mobile drilling 25X1
units.
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While some countries such as South Korea import much of the onboard
specialized drilling equipment from US canpanies, other countries, such as
Finland, produce most of their own drilling equipment, although some of this
equipment, such as blow out preventors, is under license from US companies.
Design for arctic offshore rigs is primarily from companies in the United
States, Canada, Netherlands, Finland, Norway and Japan, or joint ventures fran
one or more of these countries (See Table 3).
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Foreign Arctic Onshore Drilling Rigs - Fabrication
Company
o Deep Drilling
Villares
Dreco Energy Services Ltd
Nabors Drilling Ltd
Forex
Forasol
Industrialexport-import
o Exploration Drilling
Foundex Exploration
Country
Brazil
Canada
Canada
France
France
Romania
Comments
o 25,000 ft capable
o 25,000 ft capable
o 25,000 ft capable
o 25,000 ft capable
o 25,000 ft capable
o 25,000 ft capable
o Helicopter transportable
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Table 2
Foreign Arctic Offshore Drilling Rigs - Fabrication
(Includes drillships, jack-ups, semi-submersibles,
and arctic mobile caissons)
Company
Country
Versatile Pacific
Shipbuilding LTD
o Formerly Burrand Yarrow Corporation.
Raurna Repola
Finland
o Builds semi-submersibles, jack-ups and
drill ships for USSR.
Hitachi Zosen
Japan
o Built "Polar Pioneer" semi-submersibles for
Norsk Hydro. $90 million cost.
Nippon Kokan (NKK)
Japan
o Built Concrete Island Drilling System
(CIDS) for Global Marine - US.
Ishikawajima - Harima
Heavy Industries Co (IHI)
Japan
o Built Molikpaq drilling unit for Beaudril -
Gulf Canada.
Mitsui
Japan
o Built graving dock to construct arctic
drilling/ production units.
Mitsubishi
Japan
o Built "Marosso 56 harsh" environment semi-
submersible.
Sumitomo
Japan
o Planning to build graving docks for arctic
drilling production systems.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Japan
o Built ice strengthened semi-submissible
"Zapata Arctic."
Trosvik
Norway
o Semi-submersible experience.
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BOS Pacific S. A
Mexico
o
J/V of Bouygues and Kaiser-US.
it
Daewoo
South Korea
o
Semi-submersible experience.
Hyundai
South Korea
o
Building "Aker H-42" semi- submersible.
Samsung
South Korea
o` New competitor in semi- submersible
business.
Gotaverken Arendal (GVA)
Sweden
o
Semi-submersible experience.
Blohm and Voss
West Germany
o
Owns license for Fednav designed semi-
submersible "P.099."
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Table 3
Foreign Arctic Drilling Rigs - Design
(Includes drillships, Jack-ups, semi-submersibles, and arctic
mobile caissons. Arctic production system designers noted)
Company
Country
Canments
Canmar
Canada
o Subsidiary of Dome Petroleum. Designed
"SSDC" arctic mobile drilling vessel.
Swan Wooster
Canada
o Developing Navarin Basin production
concepts.
Earl & Wright-Lavalin
Canada
o Designed Gulf Canada's conical drilling
unit.
Bow Valley Offshore
Canada
o Designed "Bow Valley Grizzly" harsh
environment jack-up.
Fednav Ltd .
Canada
o Designed semi-submersible "P.099."
C. G Doris
o J/V with Fluor. Developing Jack Down
Arctic Monopod (J-RAM).
Bouygues Offshore
o Developing "Zee Star" arctic mobile
drilling rig.
ETPM
Elomatic Oy
o Consulting services for arctic drilling and
production systems.
Raurna Repola
o Developing in house semi-submersible
design.
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Nippon Kokan KK (NKK)
Japan
o
Ice engineering specialists.
Mitsui
Japan
o
Designing SPM for Arctic waters.
Tecnamare
Italy
o
J/V with Brown & Root. Developing
technical feasibility of steel platform for
Bering Sea.
Gusto Engineering
o
Designed drillships and jack-ups fabricated
by Rauma Repola for USSR.
Marine Structure
Consultants LTD
o
J/V with Sumitomo for design for "DSS-40"
arctic class semi-submersible.
o
Designed steep slope island for Arctic
production.
Polar Frontier
Drilling A/S
Norway
o
J/V between W. Wilhelmsen, and Sonat.
Designed semi-submersible for Norsk Hydro.
Norway
o
Designed "Marosso 56" semi-submersible.
Aker Engineering
Norway
o
Developed "D-6" sub arctic semi-
submersible.
Norwegian Contractors
Norway
o
Designed concrete monopod platform.
Trosvik
Norway
o
Designed semi-submersible "Big Bear".
Blohm & Voss A.G.
West Germany
o
Designed arctic production platform.
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