23/9/2016

OGFArticleMooringSystemsReducetheRiskofHurricaneDamagetoOffshoreDrillingUnits

MooringSystemsReducetheRiskofHurricaneDamageto
OffshoreDrillingUnits
StephenWhitfield,StaffWriter|06September2016

Withcircumstancesdemanding
strongermooringsystemstokeep
rigsonlocationinextreme
weatherconditions,companies
maylooktouserigswithdynamic
positioning(DP)capacitythatcan
bemooredinshallowwater
depths,anexpertsaid.
Speakingatthe2016Gulfof
Mexico(GoM)DeepwaterTechnicalSymposium
(http://www.deepwaternola.org/)inNewOrleans,CraigCastille,director
ofdeepwaterdrillingandcompletionsatStoneEnergy,outlineda
mooringsystemhiscompanyinstalledtoreduceriskwithits
semisubmersiblemobileoffshoredrillingunits(MODUs)intheGoM
duringhurricaneseason.
CastillesaidthecurrentdrillinglandscapeintheGoMisnotfavorableto
olderrigs.Companieshavetospendmoneytomakeolderrigs
compliantwithUSgovernmentregulationspassedinrecentyears,such
asmorestringentrequirementsforblowoutpreventersandtheaddition
ofsurveyandmappingunits.Alotofrigsalsolackthehookload
necessarytohandlenewerwelldesigns,whichhavehigherstrength
casingtooffsettheeffectsofacollapsedpipeline.
Thereareseveralmethodsownerscouldemploytomaximizetheuse
ofolderrigs,buteachofthempresentsaproblem.Onesuchmethod
wouldbetooperatetheminshallowwaterwithnofurtheradjustments
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OGFArticleMooringSystemsReducetheRiskofHurricaneDamagetoOffshoreDrillingUnits

tothemooringsystem.Castillesaidthatthisrequiresrobust,flexible
DPandpowermanagementsystems,aswellasanMODUwithgood
motioncharacteristics.
AnotheroptionwouldbetouseahighspecificationMODUwiththe
platform,butsomeoftheseunitshavetroublemeetingwellcontrol
rulesandguidelinesintheGoM.UpgradingDPrigswithmoorings
capableofsurvivinga50or100yrstormisanotherpossiblestrategy.
However,Castillesaidthiswasanexpensivefix,andanoperator
wouldlikelyhavetokeeptherigfunctioningatthemooredlocationfora
lengthyperiodoftimetomakeaprofit.
Nothingisreallygoodfortheolderrigs,Castillesaid.Youcanseethe
floaterslastyearthatwerescrappedontheglobalmarket.Ourfleetis
shrinkingonthemooredsideinabigway.Weregoingtohavetodeal
withthatifweregoingtoworkinshallowerwatersintheGulfof
Mexico.

StoneEnergyhelpedoptimizeitsoperationalproceduresonthe
DiamondOceanVictoryRigbyinstallingaremoteanchorrelease
systemandanactivethrustercontrolsystem.Source:BP

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OGFArticleMooringSystemsReducetheRiskofHurricaneDamagetoOffshoreDrillingUnits

Castillesaidthesolutionhiscompanyfavoredforoperatinginhurricane
seasonwastouseahighspecificationriganddesignamooring
systemthatcouldbereleasedinadvanceofamajorstormora
hurricane.Thiswouldallowanoperatortosteertherigoutofthe
stormspathormoveitonshore,lesseningtheriskofseveredamage.
StoneEnergyusedaremoteanchorreleasesystemandanactive
thrustercontrolsystemtohelpoptimizeitsoperationalprocedureson
twoofitsrigsintheGoM,Ensco8503andDiamondOceanVictory.
Castilesaidthissystemgavetheonsitecrewgreatercontroloftherig
inextremeweather.
Theguysinextremeweathercouldactuallygetonthestickandpush
againstthelinesthatwerebeingoverloaded,hesaid.Itgaveusalot
offlexibility.
Ensco8503isasemisubmersibleoperatingat10,000ftwaterdepth
anda35,000ftdrillingdepth,buttheoffsetfortheanchorswasonly
2,500ft.Presetinstallationtook5days,andhookuptook1.7days.
DiamondOceanVictoryoperatesata6,000ftwaterdepthanda
25,000ftdrillingdepth.Presetinstallationforthisrigtook3.1days,and
thehookuplasted3.7days.
Themooringupgradesforeachsystemwereinstalledfor2,000ftwater
depths,andweredesignedfor1and10yearsurvivalconditions.
StoneEnergycoordinatedthefrontendloadingwithUSBureauof
SafetyandEnvironmentalEnforcement.

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