Perhaps the most obvious difference between drilling offshore and onshore is that an onshore rig sits directly on the surface through which it is to drill. However an offshore rig can be floating anywhere from a few tens of meters to a couple of thousand metres above the sea bed, and must therefore be attached to the sea floor by a large steel pipe called a marine riser (Figure 9.2). The riser then acts as a conduit for the drill string and the drilling mud. In essence, it is an extension of the casing that allows the drilling mud and rock cuttings to be isolated from the water column and circulated back to the rig.
Another complication in offshore drilling is that, since the sea is seldom calm, the rig is constantly heaving and rolling in the swell. Tensioners and motion compensators allow the riser and drill string to remain relatively stationary, and keep a constant weight on the drill bit while the rig moves with the swell. But what of the winds and currents that tend to move the rig off the drilling location? It is easy to imagine the problems that even a small amount of drifting would cause when the drill pipe is extended thousands of metres into the sea bed. The industry has adopted two solutions to this problem. The first involves an elaborate system of 8 to 12 anchors, each weighing up to 20 tons. Mooring lines comprised of heavy steel chains can extend a mile or more, depending on water depth.
A second system that is being increasingly used is the dynamic positioning system or DPS. The DPS can either supplement or replace the anchors with a computer controlled system of propellers or thrusters.Through an array of motion sensors, the computer can immediately detect any movement of the rig and then apply just enough power to the appropriate thrusters to compensate and keep the rig exactly on location. This type of system makes it possible to drill in much deeper water, where anchors would not be feasible. Wells can now be drilled in water depths exceeding 2000 metres.