Hydranautics Hydraulic Systems, Goleta, Calif., announced recently that two of Stewart/Stevenson's inland drill barges will each be equipped with a Hydranautics drill floor skidding system consisting of four 150-ton mechanical Pin Claw Base assemblies and a control console. The two semisubmersibles are the first in the industry to be designed with a drill floor that can be moved both longitudinally and transversely.
The first of the two submersibles is already being operated by Temple Drilling Company, Houston, Texas, near Freeport, Texas. The second, for Phoenix Management, Houston, will be used for drilling in Texas, Louisiana, and in the Gulf of Mexico.