Project Case Study

Accelerated Delivery of ABS-Certified Mud Gas Separator for Seadrill

Mud Gas Separator (MGS) for a Seadrill

Overview

Kapwell Ltd successfully engineered, fabricated, and delivered a fully ASME Section VIII and ABS MOU 2024 certified Mud Gas Separator (MGS) for a Seadrill offshore drilling application—in just 8 weeks, significantly outperforming the industry-standard delivery timeline of 25–30 weeks.

This project demonstrates Kapwell’s capability to deliver highly regulated offshore equipment under extreme schedule constraints, without compromising on quality, compliance, or performance.

Client & Application

Client: Seadrill

Rig: MOSVOLD II

Application: Offshore drilling – gas handling and well control safety

Equipment: Custom Mud Gas Separator (MGS)
The separator was designed for critical well control operations, ensuring safe handling of gas-cut drilling mud and effective gas venting during drilling activities.

Scope of Supply

Kapwell’s scope included:

  • Full design, engineering, and fabrication of the MGS
  • Compliance with ASME Section VIII Div. 1 pressure vessel code
  • Complete ABS Drilling Rig Classification (ABS MOU 2024)
  • Submission of design package including drawings, calculations, and material specifications for ABS approval
  • ABS survey coordination and Certificate of Conformity (COC) issuance
  • Full documentation and export-ready delivery

Technical Highlights

Process Capacity

  • Mud handling: Up to 1500 GPM (≈95 m³/h)
  • Gas handling: 15.3 MMSCFD
  • Mud density range: 5.7–16 ppg
  • Gas-liquid separation with droplet sizes of 300–450 μm

Design & Construction

  • Vertical pressure vessel (2.0 m diameter, 2.864 m height)
  • Material: ASTM A516 Gr. 70 (offshore grade)
  • Designed for 9.5 barg pressure
  • Built as per ASME VIII Div. 1 with full NDE and hydrotesting
  • Internal baffle system for efficient gas-liquid separation
  • ABS-compliant venting and erosion protection

Compliance & Certification

  • ABS MOU 2024 Classification
  • ASME pressure vessel design and fabrication
  • API standards (API 53, API 12J, API 16C)
  • Full inspection, testing, and documentation package

The Challenge

Mud Gas Separators with full ABS classification and ASME compliance typically require:

  • Extensive design review cycles
  • Third-party approvals
  • Material procurement lead times
  • Rigorous inspection and testing

Typical industry delivery timeline: 25–30 weeks

The client required delivery within a drastically reduced timeframe to meet critical offshore operational schedules.

Kapwell’s Solution

8-Week Fast-Track Delivery

Kapwell implemented a highly optimized execution strategy, reducing total delivery time to 45–54 days (~8 weeks):

Key Execution Strategies

  • Early engagement with ABS to streamline approval cycles
  • Parallel engineering and procurement activities
  • Immediate material sourcing and fabrication readiness
  • Dedicated project management and rapid decision-making
  • Optimized fabrication workflow including:
    • Shell rolling & welding: 7–10 days
    • NDE inspection: 7–10 days
    • Hydrotesting and ABS sign-off: 3–4 days
The client’s name and specific well locations are omitted for confidentiality. The case is presented in a generalized form to showcase Kapwell’s capabilities in test separator solutions.

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