~ MintMech unveils advanced technology for geotechnical drilling vessels and offshore wind ~
To meet the evolving demands of the offshore wind geotechnical drilling and subsea operations industries, Cornwall-based specialist engineer, MintMech, has developed a new heave compensation system. Active Heave Assist (AHA) offers heave compensation for vessel motion within less than 10cm, ensuring the drill bit remains stable relative to the seabed even during challenging conditions.
Traditionally, offshore geotechnical drilling operations have relied on passive heave compensation systems which, although effective in some conditions, come with limitations due to friction and vessel motion. Passive systems are often unable to maintain drill string stability in soft ground conditions, during delicate downhole logging or when working off-bottom, such as during tool changes.
"Active Heave Assist fundamentally changes the way we can work offshore," said Jack Berryman, cofounder of MintMech. "By retrofitting AHA to the existing passive system, we can actively control the position of the bottom hole assembly (BHA) and enable reliable core and data collection in ground and metocean conditions that previously made it practically impossible. Our ability to combine accurate BHA positional control with automated weight on bit limits is transformative."
The AHA system has already been successfully deployed in a commercial campaign in the West Pacific. Operating in rocky, uneven seabed in deep-water conditions where traditional jack-up barges and seabed frames could not be used, the system enabled advanced downhole logging operations that required precise positional control of the bottom hole assembly.
“In offshore wind, the low hanging fruit is disappearing fast,” said Theo Cleave, commercial manager at MintMech. “As more projects are completed, developers must revisit areas previously considered unattractive or unviable — like very soft ground, rocky ground or deeper water — having a better understanding of the seabed conditions could open up these locations for development.”
“High-quality cores and accurate downhole data will be very useful to the European offshore wind sector, where developers are urgently seeking to optimise foundation designs and reduce costs,” said MintMech cofounder Laurie Thornton. “AHA can enable more efficient foundation design and significant savings on steel, time and embodied carbon.”
MintMech continues to develop AHA enhancements including automatic weight-on-bit (AWOB) and auto-core-run (ACR) control systems to further improve drilling performance across a range of seabed conditions.
AHA can be retrofitted to a vessel’s existing passive heave compensation system with minimal disruption to a normal mobilisation. Multiple failsafes and an intuitive control panel make the system easy to use for the driller, who can choose the level of automation based on their experience and override it if necessary. AHA and AWOB can also be deployed to large diameter marine drilling and construction applications, for example the installation of FLOW foundations.
MintMech is an engineering innovator specialising in subsea drilling, offshore construction and foundation technology for renewable energy and marine infrastructure projects. By combining practical experience with cutting-edge automation, MintMech is redefining offshore operations for a lower-carbon future. To see footage of AHA in action, visit www.MintMech.com/AHA.