“In the interest of safety, the D3 joint venture has taken the considered decision to suspend the W1 well. The operator is working towards mobilizing an alternative rig at the earliest opportunity.”

—Yogeshwar Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Hardy

Failure of the BOP on the Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be one of the contributory factors that led to the explosion and fire on the rig, its subsequent sinking, and the ongoing undersea oil flow from the wrecked riser.

The KGV-D3-W1 exploration well commenced drilling on 2 April 2010 using the Transocean rig Deepwater Expedition. The well was drilled to a depth of 2,608 meters (8,556 ft) MD (measured depth) at which time intermediate casing was set. Subsequently, the operator spent a considerable amount of time attempting to resolve a problem with the control system of the drilling rig’s BOP, according to a statement by Hardy.

The operator has been unable to resolve the issue to its satisfaction and, “mindful of safety and operational matters”, has taken the decision to suspend the well. The operator intends to re-enter the well at the earliest possible opportunity, with an alternative deepwater rig.

The KGV-D3-W1 exploration well is located in water depth of 1,653 meters (5,423 feet). The target depth of the well, which aims to explore the hydrocarbon potential of Mio-Pliocene sands, is 3,514 meters (11,529 feet) MD. The D3 licence is located in the Krishna Godavari Basin on the East Coast of India and covers an area of approximately 3,288 km². The Company holds a 10% participating interest in the block, with Reliance Industries Limited holding 90% as operator.