Abstract
An exploration well is drilled where oil or gas potential is shown by a seismic survey and interpretation. With the advance of drilling technology, most of the easily accessible oil had been developed by the end of the 20th century. To satisfy the ever increasing demand for oil, and bolstered by high oil prices, the major oil companies started to drill in deep water, which requires a deep offshore drilling unit. Offshore drilling units are generally classified by their maximum operating water depth. Many semi-submersible rigs have been purpose-designed for the drilling industry as the allowable drilling water depth has become deeper by the developed technics since the first semi-submersible was launched in 1963. Semi-submersible rigs are commonly used for shallow to deep water up to 3,000 m. Drilling equipment such as a top drive, blowout preventer, drawworks and power system, mud circulation system, and subsea wellhead system are explained to help with an understanding of offshore drilling procedures in the oil and gas fields. The objective of this paper is to introduce the main components of a semi-submersible rig and, by doing so, to raise the awareness of offshore drilling, which accounts for over 30% of the total oil production and will continue to increase.