The Atlantis System was deployed under the semi-submersible drilling rig, Nanhai V, owned and operated by China Oilfield Services. The successful completion of this trial confirms that China Oilfield Services is in possession of the technical capability to perform deep water drilling, using its semi-submersible drilling rigs that deploy the Atlantis deepwater technology.
The concept of the Atlantis System is to use a buoy positioned at a depth of about 250-400 meters below surface where the wellhead and blowout preventer will be located. The buoy is anchored to the seabed by means of a tieback casing which is connected to the wellhead located on the seabed. The system is then used with semi-submersible drilling rigs, allowing the semi-submersibles to operate in deeper waters. This technology has proven to be safe and cost effective and can be used in development drilling and production units.
