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www.sea-technology.com July 2014 / st 27 alone is not enough to ensure commercial success until the marketplace accepts it, and that process can be accelerated only so much. Background/History In 1996, the Subsea MudLift Drilling Joint Industry Proj- ect (SMD-JIP) was formed to study the feasibility of an alter- native deep-water drilling technology that came to be called dual gradient drilling. The technology's success hinged on development of a mud lift pump suffciently robust to move drilling mud containing considerable embedded solids of various sizes to the surface, without clogging intermediate drilling system components. Chevron North America Exploration and Production Co. (Houston, Texas) encapsulated the operating principle and benefts of DGD by saying: "Unlike conventional deepwa- ter drilling, which uses a single drilling fuid weight in the borehole, [DGD] employs two weights of drilling fuid–one above the seabed, the other below. This allows drillers to S EA CON (El Cajon, California) began supporting proof-of-concept dual gradient drilling (DGD) proj- ects well over a decade ago and has since collabo- rated with major oilfeld contractors to supply more than 1,000 connectors and cable assemblies. It has also provided cable and connector logistical project management for the installation of a seagoing DGD system on the dynamically positioned deepwater drill- ship Pacifc Santa Ana, currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico. The complexity of outftting the entire sys- tem resulted in SEA CON's participation in planning, system integration and commissioning support at a much higher level than is customary for a connector and cable system manufacturer. The relatively long history of DGD technology de- velopment from concept to frst production drilling system illustrates that sometimes technical feasibility Dual Gradient Drilling Technology At Work After Long Development Cycle SEA CON Contributes Connectors, Cables to DGD Joint Industry Project By Michael Mulcahy DGD Timeline 1996-2014 Year Event 1996 Subsea MudLift Drilling (SMD) Joint Industry Project is formed, with participants including major oil and gas industry contractors. Purpose: to investigate feasibil- ity of developing a mud lift pump (MLP) as the prime component of a Dual Gradient Drilling (DGD) system. SEA CON collaborates with MLP developer GE Oil and Gas (GEOG) by providing cables and connectors for the proof-of-concept phase. 2001 Semi-submersible rig Ocean New Era successfully drills a test well applying DGD technology in 910 ft. of water in the Gulf of Mexico. 2008 A 2-year Front End Engineering Design (FEED) program is initiated. SEA CON's engineering and project manage- ment team works closely with GEOG to develop the range of connector and cable products needed to meet the highest level of reliability, with particular focus on American Petroleum Institute (API) compliance. 2010 Contract is signed with GEOG for frst MaxLift Pump to be used in a DGD application. The full-scale technology development project would culminate in the frst pro- duction DGD system. May 2012 Newbuild drillship Pacifc Santa Ana arrives in Gulf of Mexico to start its maiden drilling contract with Chev- ron. February-May 2014 First feld trials of the DGD technology onboard Pacifc Santa Ana in the Gulf of Mexico. Face view of SEA CON's MSSK connector, which complies fully with API 16D design requirements.