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How Does a Drillship Work?
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Truly what it sounds like, a drillship is a marine vessel that's been modified to drill oil and gas wells. While drillships look similar to a tanker or cargo vessel, there are a couple of major differences. Drillships are equipped with a drilling derrick and moon pool. Additionally, drillships have extensive mooring or positioning equipment, as well as a helipad to receive supplies and transport staff.

Drill Ship



Drill Ship
While capable of drilling in deep and ultra-deep waters, a disadvantage to using a drillship is its susceptibility to being agitated by waves, wind and currents. This is especially troublesome when the vessel is actually drilling, because the drillship is connected to equipment thousands of feet under the sea.


Drill Ship
Drillships were first developed in the late 1940s by marine architects. Created to overcome water depth challenges offshore California in the Pacific Ocean, the first drillship was a surplus U.S. Navy patrol craft that was equipped with cantilevered drilling equipment. Seeing some success, the next drill ship incorporated a moon pool and an onboard drilling derrick. After its success, companies soon ordered the construction of subsequent drillships.

Transocean, Pride, Seadrill, Frontier Drilling and Noble are a few of the companies that own and operate drillships globally.

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