Houma, La. – CORTEC, a leading provider of quality production chokes and flow line accessories, has been awarded a contract by ConocoPhillips and Ensco to supply turnkey topsides manifolds for the managed pressure drilling (MPD) system to be installed on the Ensco DS-9 Drillship.

The contract includes turnkey design and manufacture of buffer, choke and meter manifolds to be utilized in MPD applications. The design includes the use of 4 and 8 inch nominal, compact metal-seated ball valves as well as 3 and 6 inch orifice drilling chokes, all electrically actuated. This double-deck system design stands upwards of 25 feet in height and weighs more than 100 tons. Drilling operations are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter 2015.