12,000 Feet Under the Sea
Jane Van Ryan
Posted August 14, 2009
Yesterday, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. announced that the Discoverer Clear Leader--an ultra-deepwater drillship newly built to Chevron's specifications--has begun work in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico, allowing Chevron to expand its search for new domestic sources of energy.
The state-of-the-art vessel is capable of drilling wells in 12,000 feet (3,650 meters) of water to a total depth of 40,000 feet (12,200 meters), surpassing the limits of previous technology. Chevron is one of the top lease holders and producers in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The company holds the current world water-depth drilling record of 10,011 feet (3,051 meters) of water in the Gulf.
Watch the ultra-deepwater drilling animation, and station-keeping animation showing how satellite signals and acoustic beacons on the sea floor help keep the drillship on location.