Drilling

As an international drilling contractor operating in some of the harshest onshore and offshore environments, Saipem is presently contracted to major oil companies, carrying out important drilling programmes in Europe, FSU, North and West Africa, Middle and Far East and Americas, working in many of the oil and gas industry’s “hotspots”, frequently in synergy with the Group’s onshore and offshore activities.
Saipem vast experience in managing onshore drilling activities, associated with an adequate technological and operational level, have progressively developed the Company’s actual capabilities.
Over many decades of performance, Saipem has drilled over 7,100 wells, 1,750 of which have been offshore, totalling an overall depth of about 17.8 million m.
Offshore, Saipem operates both in shallow and deep water, using a state-of-the art drilling fleet including  the ultra deepwater DP drill ship Saipem 10000, which in 2001 drilled offshore Gabon at a water depth of 2,791 m, the fourth and fifth generation semisubmersible drilling units Scarabeo 5 and Scarabeo 7.
Saipem has recently launched an ambitious programme of expansion of its drilling fleet which will be concluded during 2010. Saipem will double its presence in the deep water segment and will increase by 50% the shallow water segment thanks to the start of the operation of the drill ship Saipem 12000, capable to operate up to 12,000 ft of water depth, the ultra deepwater sixth generation semisubmersible drilling units Scarabeo 8 and Scarabeo 9 and the jack-up Perro Negro 6 and Perro Negro 7.
Over the last years the expansion programme has also regarded the onshore fleet currently including around a hundred plants with different capacities.
With this fleet and its experienced and competent personnel, Saipem aims at meeting three key objects with every project it undertakes:

• zero accidents
• no damages
• excellence of performances

Our clients satisfaction and our people, in particular their health and safety, are the primary focus of Saipem activity.
Whenever possible, Saipem seeks to maximise “local content” on a project, by developing joint ventures with qualified local companies and by training personnel from around the world in the business of drilling and well control technology.