Drillship

A ship-shaped vessel specially designed for deepwater and ultra-deepwater drilling, equipped with a drilling derrick mounted over a moonpool (a vertical opening through the hull). Drillships are self-propelled and typically dynamically positioned (DP2 or DP3), enabling them to operate in water depths exceeding 3,000 metres without anchoring. They offer greater mobility between locations than semi-submersibles but are more susceptible to vessel motion in rough seas.