WorldWide Drilling Resource

Undersea Roughnecks Adapted from Information byAmerican Oil & Gas Historical Society Deep sea diving has always presented many dangers. The perilous situations divers could encounter at the bottom of the sea prompted famed magician and escape artist Harry Houdini to patent his 1921 invention of a quick release mechanism to help divers exit their cumbersome suits. While a dangerous occupation in general, divers found new opportunities when petroleum exploration began off the California coast near Santa Barbara. Kerr-McGee Corp. made petroleum history in 1947, by drilling 10 miles off the Louisiana coast. Although its Kermac 16 was a milestone in offshore drilling technology, the water was only 20 feet deep. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico with its continental shelf, the West Coast gets very deep, very quickly. Drilling in depths of 200 feet and beyond is now common in the Gulf, but once required the en- durance and capabilities of experienced divers. The pursuit of offshore oil inevitably demanded technological innovation as ex- ploration led into deeper and more inhospitable waters. Offshore divers faced new challenges, including one hazard called “stabbing in.” Inserting a drill pipe from a moving, heaving barge into the subsea wellhead was a difficult maneuver. Each time a worn drill bit had to be replaced, a diver was required. To perform the stab-in, the diver had to straddle the top of the 24-inch hole between his legs, physically pull the drill string over the target, and at just the right moment instruct the drill floor, 250 feet overhead, to let go. Modern technologies, including re- motely operated vehicles, relieve divers of this dangerous task. Since dangers were always present and divers only had a limited amount of time to spend working at the bottom, new diving technology and suits were needed. Deep sea diving companies adapted space suits designed for astro- naut John Glenn. The suit utilized hot water pumped down from the surface through dive-suit tubing, which helped divers cope with the frigid water and ex- tended time at the bottom. An underwater welding habitat pressurized with nitrogen greatly facilitated the critical business of laying pipeline, tie-ins, and repairs. Saturation diving and decompression chambers were developed to further increase bottom times and improve safety. With deep saturation diving, every 100 feet of depth re- quired 24 hours of decompression - and time was money. Modern deep sea technology spares divers from many of the inherent dan- gers of the sea and occupation. Instead of air, divers began breathing mixtures of helium and oxygen during deep descents and carefully managed decompression ascents. Even with state-of-the-art robotics, the offshore petroleum industry and sci- entific needs for manned deep sea diving continue. Atmospheric Diving Systems enclose the operator at one-atmosphere pressure, regardless of depth, thereby eliminating the necessity for decompression. The modern “Hardsuit 2000” with 16 rotary joints and two thrusters for mobil- ity, bears little resemblance to its tradi- tional ancestors. The suit can operate at depths up to 2000 feet and remain for six hours on the bottom with no decompres- sion required. The pursuit for oil and natural gas continues to generate new technologies just as it has in the past. Innovators continue to seek safer methods and technology for those in the industry, while deep sea divers continue to push both science and industry to new and deeper frontiers. 36 OCTOBER 2018 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Harry Houdini’s patented diver’s suit. G&O WWDR will continue to cover the Frequently-Used Geological Terms next month!