Innovation has always been part of LeTourneau Technologies™ Offshore Products.

For more than five decades, our customers have demanded new ideas, advanced technology, and better ways to get the job done.  Not only have we delivered, but we’re often first to market with new equipment and systems.  At LeTourneau Technologies™ Offshore Products, we’ve taken the time to listen to our customers.  Respond to market trends.  And react quickly to the evolving requirements of drilling contractors as the world evolves, too.  Our goal all along is to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of offshore drilling. The result is a company that leads the way in offshore technology advancements. Here are just a few of the highlights:

1. Designed and built the world’s first independent jack-up rig

When the oil exploration market needed to broaden its horizons by extending beyond the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, LeTourneau responded by engineering, designing, and building The Scorpion, the father of today’s jack-up.This mobile platform revolutionized oil and gas exploration more than a half century ago by opening up the Gulf waters for drilling. The Scorpion was the first of ten offshore platforms subsequently placed around the world by LeTourneau before 1959.

2. Built the first true load-sharing rack locking system

The patented STORM LOK® brings innovation to leg locking devices by assuring even rack tooth loading along with ease of installation and removal.

3. Developed the first rack-and-pinion jacking mechanism and VFD
elevating system

The rack-and-pinion mechanism was developed in response to the industry’s demand for a safer, faster, more reliable jacking system. Today, four choices of elevating systems feature LTI’s proprietary motor designs developed for the specific application. The range offers normal elevating ratings of 150, 375, 440, and 1,000 kips, with storm holding capabilities as great as 1,800 kips per pinion. These systems are also offered in a choice of in-line or opposed configurations and have been built in single speed and variable speed (VFD) models.

4. Earned the first 550-foot water depth rating

In order to bring the versatility and cost effectiveness of jack-up rig drilling to areas  that previously required a semi-submersible, LeTourneau engineered the GORILLA® Series of rigs to handle the demands of deepwater drilling.

5. Designed the first cantilevered skid-off drill package

This development was designed to meet the requirements of drillers who needed extended platform drilling capabilities within the context of an existing rig design.

6. Built the first triple mud pump layout

In anticipation of wells becoming tougher and tougher to drill, LeTourneau was the first to respond with a layout on the Gorilla rig to accommodate three pumps. LeTourneau is currently developing an upgraded rig layout designed to accommodate four pumps.

7. Engineered and built the first 100-foot reach cantilever
and the industry’s first cantilever with a drill load capacity over
3.5 million pounds

LTI significantly extended the reach and capacity of cantilever design in anticipation of the market’s need for more capacity and flexibility.

8. Incorporated the first modular jack-up rig leg construction

Because leg lengths often need to be extended or reduced without the benefit of  proximity to a shipyard, LeTourneau developed a modular leg design for on-site efficiency.

Be the first to find out more.

See what the innovative mindset at LeTourneau Technologies Offshore Products can do for your company.  For a comprehensive capabilities brochure, contact us at jbowes@letourneautechnologies.com or by calling 903-237-7500.