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Helix Energy Solutions – Q7000

In October 2019, ICoTA Europe Champion, Helix Energy Solutions completed commissioning of its third semi-submersible subsea well intervention vessel, the Q7000.

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Their newest world-class subsea well intervention vessel comes with a fully integrated well services package supplied by the company's Subsea Services Alliance partner, Schlumberger. The Alliance partners outfitted the Q7000 with wireline, slickline, coiled tubing and cementing pumping spreads in an optimized layout with dedicated service areas to increase safety and vessel efficiency.

The Helix Q7000 is equipped with a brand-new subsea well access package, Intervention Riser System, IRS 6. IRS 6 is the sixth generation in-house designed well access system and enables access to both vertical and horizontal subsea trees in depths from 300 ft down to 10,000 ft. IRS 6 can be utilized for wireline intervention, production logging, coiled tubing operations, well stimulation and full plug and abandonment operations. Due to schedule changes, it was not possible to run the IRS 6 on a test well. Thus the system was initially deployed and received its class certification on a live well.

The Q7000's first project was to successfully deliver a five well campaign performing subsea well workover services with a significant client offshore Nigeria. The primary objective - to increase subsea production, and marked the first time in the company's history where work would happen offshore Nigeria. Objectives on all five wells were completed in a single deployment of Helix's Intervention Riser System (IRS6) over ten weeks with 96.86% uptime, zero LTI's and zero delays in the mobilization of tools and personnel.

The Q7000 integrated subsea well intervention project offshore Nigeria was executed with zero lost time incidents or accidents.

To comply with local content requirements, Helix hired and trained a new crew, predominantly from the Nigerian industry for this project. Training commenced in the shipyard with the crew joining the vessel in Singapore to learn essential skills, methods in disciplines and the Helix 4 Pillars of Safety program.

During the final weeks of the project, operations were affected by travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. New protocols for protecting the crew were put in place in a short period with little warning. Under these demanding and stressful conditions, the vessel and crew were able to complete all objectives for the client, maintaining the same levels of efficiency and a perfect safety record.

PROJECT MILESTONES

• 5 well access in a single deployment of the IRS6

• 96.86% uptime over 10 week period

• Project completed 25 days faster than planned

• 4 subsea well hops

• Zero LTI incidents or accidents

• Zero delays in mobilization of tools and personnel

• First project offshore Nigeria in Helix company history

• First job by newly trained Nigerian crew

• First job with new build vessel and new well access system

To find out more about the Q7000, read Helix Energy Solutions' case study

If you are interested in joining Helix Energy Solutions to become an ICoTA Champion, visit our ICoTA Europe Champions page for a full list of benefits.