Reliable deepwater anchor performance is critical for mooring floating Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs). Anchor failure can result in MODUs going adrift and colliding with other topside structures as well as dragging anchors that can damage subsea pipelines, seafloor production systems and natural sealife communities.
Energo examined the structural reliability of a set of approximately 15 GOM platforms of different configurations, water depths and locations. This set was meant to represent a typical cross section of the GOM fleet of fixed platforms. The resulting platform reliabilities were compared based upon metocean criteria used - RP2A or 2INT-MET and by region. The results will allow MMS to better understand the impact of the new API criteria on expected platform performance according to design approach used and location in the GOM.
In the offshore and shipping industry, extreme wave events have led to extensive damage and destruction of offshore structures. Hurricanes Ivan, Rita, Katrina, Gustav and Ike that hit the Gulf of Mexico and severe storm events experienced in the North Sea illustrate the importance of extreme wave design for all types of offshore structures. As the U.S. grows increasingly dependent on the steady supply of energy from federal offshore oil and gas reserves, BOEMRE remains attentive to new technologies that safeguard offshore energy facilities, their personnel, and the environment.
The objective of this project is to evaluate the state of practice in fatigue assessment in the offshore industry today. Of interest is an understanding of how fatigue life calculations are undertaken and how both load and resistance side uncertainties are employed in design for fatigue.
This objective will be accomplished via the following tasks:
The primary objective of this project is to investigate the static and dynamic stability of various classes of TLPs under extreme hurricane and loop current conditions where one or more tendons have been lost due to damage or disconnect.
This objective will be accomplished via the following tasks:
The Scope of Work for this effort will be divided into five (5) sub-projects: (i) Managing Hydrates in Late Field Life Situations; (ii) Under-inhibited Systems; (iii) High Pressure Jumper Design; (iv) Development of Techniques to Monitor Hydrates and/or Characterize Hydrate Slurries; (v) Development of Simulation Tools. The tasks are described as follows: Managing Hydrates in Late Field Life Situations Simulate several late field scenarios with focus on high water cut, emulsified oil, and low gas-oil-ratios.
In August and September 2005 Hurricanes KATRINA and RITA came through two of the main exploration and production areas of the Gulf of Mexico. These hurricanes permanently removed five jackups from service, with damage sustained to another 13+. A total of 23 jackups are said to have sustained minor to extensive damage. Early reports indicated 19 MODUS became adrift (both jackups and semi-submersibles). Several of those were swept away and floated through the important oil and gas infrastructure of the GOM prior to grounding or being taken under tow.
The objective of this study was to develop design review recommendations for the connection hardware used for TLPs and similar structures such as mini-TLPs at the tops and bottoms of the tendons.
This project investigated the accuracy of non-invasive deepwater subsea inspections performed by common ROV-supported inspection tools and provided a comprehensive assessment of the knowledge gained from recent work on subrope behavior.
The objectives were:
The Offshore Federal Oil & Gas infrastructure includes over 33, 000 miles of pipeline that provides the means to service and transport approximately 30% of our nation's domestically produced oil and gas from offshore wells to onshore refineries. As the U.S. grows increasingly dependent on the steady supply of energy from offshore oil and gas reserves, MMS remains attentive to the destructive forces of hurricanes and the extensive challenges to protect pipelines in advance of and to re-start pipeline production following these catastrophic natural events.
