OREANDA-NEWS. Offshore drilling solutions provider AGR Enhanced Drilling has further secured its position in the Caspian after BP signed a two-year contract extension with the Norwegian company.

 The extension, which runs from January 1, 2013 and was signed by BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) Ltd, will see Enhanced Drilling extend the placement of its permanent staff in Baku, Azerbaijan, along with equipment and facililties.

 This continued local presence will mean Enhanced Drilling is even better placed to provide high-quality services.

 Its Riserless Mud Recovery system (RMR®) enables operators to use weighted mud during top-hole drilling. All mud and cuttings are returned to the rig, with no discharge to the sea. The result is a safer, more stable top-hole, drilled with minimal environmental impact.

 The Managed Pressure Cementing (MPC®) system is another proven risk-reduction tool, this time enabling the successful isolation of high-pressure, unconsolidated water and gas-bearing formations with high-performance cement, even in narrow pressure window scenarios.

 RMR® and the CTS™ Cuttings Transportation System have together been deployed on more than 500 wells worldwide to date.

 Harald Fiksdal, Vice President of Operations at Enhanced Drilling, said: “We’re delighted with the extension of the contract which fits in with our long-term goals regarding our continued growth in the Caspian. Enhanced Drilling is also looking forward to continuing its tradition when it comes to developing future safety-enhancing, value-adding technologies.”

 Last year, Enhanced Drilling built on its reputation for step-change technological solutions with the introduction of the EC-Drill® managed pressure drilling system, which was used on three deep-water wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

 EC-Drill® solves the challenge of the narrow-pressure window in deep-water drilling, where the formation can fracture if the bottom hole pressure (BHP) is too high; if the BHP is too low, this may cause an influx. EC-Drill® offers greater control of the BHP as it is not solely regulated by mud-weight but also by the level of fluid in the riser.

 Not only is there the potential to reduce the number of casings, saving time and money, but safety is also enhanced thanks to improved kick/loss detection, improved hole stability and the possibility of drilling with riser margin.