Main Hoist

Yesterday evening we assisted with bringing a material barge alongside the 'Hermod'. The next module to be lifted of the 'NW Hutton' platfom is the MM-1. This is the mud-module of the platform. Mud is used during drilling. When the drillbit is turning, drilling mud is pumped through the drillbit down in the hole. The drilling mud then flows down through the hollow rotating drill string and jets out through holes in the drilling bit on the bottom of the well. The drilling mud picks rock cuttings from the bottom of the well. It flows up the well in the space between the rotating drill string and well walls, also called annulus. Drilling mud is a mixture of clay, water, weighting material and chemicals. Circulating drilling mud serves several purposes. The mud removes cuttings from the bottom of the well. As the mud flows across the bit, it cleans cuttings from the teeth. The drilling mud cools the bit from heat generated by the friction of drilling. But all this is history for the drillers on the 'NW Hutton' platform. Tonight their mudfactory will be lifted off by this main hoist block of the 'Hermod' and recycled onshore. Capacity of this block is 4000 Short Tonnes, so that should be enough.