1

Design of Offshore Platforms

Lecture 1
Introduction

Outline
2

Introducing myself
Course objectives
Course syllabus
Course application
Class policies
Reference books

Introducing myself
3

PhD, The University

of Texas at Austin
Research interests:
Offshore
Engineering
Marine
Hydrodynamics
Sediment
Transport
Renewable Energy

FPSO

Offshore Engineering
4

Simulation of Platforms/Risers/Pipelines

Renewable energy
5

Danish west coast

Class time
6

Class times: Mondays, 6:00-7:30 pm

TA Class times: Tuesdays, 6:00-7:30 pm

Course objective:
7

Introduces the student to

loading,
behavior,
analysis

and
design of offshore platforms

Description:
8

This is intended as an advanced course in the

Marine Structures area.
It is assumed that the students have the basic
knowledge of the
structural

analysis,
marine hydrodynamics and
steel structures design

The course focuses on design of fixed platforms and

it only introduces the floating platforms.

Course Evaluation:
9

Term Project/Homeworks: 40%

Final Exam: 60%
Pop-up quizzes/ 5 Min. Presentation : Extra scores

Class policies
10

Original homework/project must be submitted by

each student.
The assignment will be graded for solution
procedure, numerical results, clarity and appearance.
Late assignments will not be accepted.

Course Outline:
11

...
-

Course Outline:
12

:
:

:
:
Marine Growth, Vortex Shedding, Wave Slamming

:

Course Outline:
13

()DNV - Noble Denton API-RP2A
Inplace :
:
Loadout, Tow, Lift, Launch, Floatation & Upending
:
Fire, Dynamic Loading, Earthquake, Boat Impact, Explosion
)Tubular Joints( :
) Wind & Wave Fatigue( : ...
((Pile Design

Course Outline:
14

Main References:
15

Useful websites:

http://www.fgg.uni-lj.si/~/pmoze/esdep/master/wg15a/toc.htm

www.offshore-mag.com

Other References:
16

Other Reference:
17

S. K. Chakrabarti, 2005. HANDBOOK OF OFFSHORE ENGINEERING, ELSEVIER.

B. C. Gerwick, 2007. Construction of Marine and offshore structures, CRC press.
Ivar Holand, Ove T.Gudmestad and Erik Jersin, 2000. Design of Offshore Concrete
Structures, Spon press.
Patel, Minoo H., 1989. Dynamics of Offshore Structures, Butterwork & Co. Ltd.
S. K. Chakrabarti, 1987. Hydrodynamics of Offshore Structures, Springer.
Dawson, Thomas H., 1983. Offshore Structural Engineering, Prentice-Hall Inc.
Hsu, Teng H., 1984. Applied Offshore Structural Engineering, Gulf Publishing
Company.
Robert T. Hudspeth, 2006. WAVES AND WAVE FORCES ON COASTAL AND
OCEAN STRUCTURES, World Scientific Publishing Co.
John B. Herbich, 1999. DEVELOPMENTS IN OFFSHORE ENGINEERING, Gulf
Publishing Company.
James F. Wilson, 2003. Dynamics of Offshore Structures, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Progress to deep water

18

offshore drilling and production of petroleum

resources:
Steady

progress to deep water1947-1998

Water depth: 6 m to more than 500 m

Design for waves loads

19

platforms

are designed for wave heights up to the order

of 25 meters

Cost
20

Expensive

Structures

Platform Failure
21

It

requires a good estimate of environmental forces

(wave, wind, current, ) to avoid failure.

ST
1

Lecture Objective

22

identify the basic vocabulary

introduce the major concepts for offshore platform
structures
explain where the basic structural requirements for
design are generated

Outline
23

Definition
Application
Importance
basic steps in the development process
major structural concepts
Fixed
Floating

major codes

Definition
24

Offshore Platform: a structure in the sea that does

not have direct access to the land

Application of offshore platforms

25

Oil and gas industry

Geotechnical surveys
Offshore wind turbines
Military purpose

Importance for Iran

26

Ranking of Oil/Gas recoverable reserves

1166

155

Importance for Iran

27

Most of Irans
common
reservoirs are
offshore

Foroozan
(common with
Saudi)
Arash (common
with Kuwait)
South Pars
(common with
Qatar)

Ranking of Oil Companies

28

1.
2.
3.

Saudi Armco
NIOC
Exxon Mobile

COST ASPECTS
29

The economic feasibility of an offshore project depends on

many aspects:

capital expenditure (CAPEX),

operational expenditure (OPEX)
tax
royalties

In a typical offshore field development the CAPEX is

divided to:

1/3 on the platform

1/3 on the drilling of wells
1/3 on the pipelines

OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OIL/GAS FIELD

30

Factors involved in the evaluation

number

of wells required
fixed or floated production facilities
pipeline or tanker off-loading

OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OIL/GAS FIELD

31

main technical activities prior to production:

engineering

and design
fabrication and installation
drilling of production wells
providing the off loading system
Pipelines
Tankers

Offshore Platforms
32

Includes
Superstructure:

supports the equipments

Substructure:
withstand weight of
superstructure + Env. Loads

Superstructure
33

design depends on
capacity

of production
type of reservoir

Substructure
34

design depends on
Weight

of superstructure
Environment
water

depth at location
soil, at sea-bottom and in-depth
wind speed, air temperature
waves, tide and storm surge, current
ice
earthquakes

Hydrocarbon Superstructures functions

35

Reservoir drilling
Oil/gas production
Oil/gas storage
Personnel accommodation
Flare
Support bridges
A combinations of above functions

2. Major structural concepts

36

Fixed
Jacket
Compliant

tower

GCS
TLP

Floating
FPSO
Spar
Semi-submersible

Fixed/Floating: Jack-ups

Water depth definition

37

h<1300 ft
1300 ft<h<5000 ft
h>5000 ft

Shallow water
Deep water
Ultra-deep water

Platforms types versus water depth

38

Fixed Platforms
39

Jackets
40

majority of platforms are piled-jacket all built in

steel

Gravity concrete structure (GCS)

41

North Sea

Compliant Towers
42

TLP
43

Floating Platforms
44

Semi-submersible
45

46

Anchorage via 8 cable-chain system

Platform weight: 14000 ton
47

47

48

FPSO
49

Good
for PG,
WA,
Brazil,
Asia

OFFLOADING
FLOATING HOSE REEL
50

FPSO

Spar
51

World's deepest platform

52

Perdido Spar in the Gulf of Mexico

water depth of 2,450 m (8,000 feet)
weigh around 55,000 tonnes

Transportation of Perdido
53

Jack-up Platforms
54

Construction
55

These factors combined with the size and weight of

the items, require that a designer must carefully
consider all construction activities between shop
fabrication and offshore installation.

Codes
56

API-RP2A: worldwide leading structural code for

jacket platforms
Lloyds rules
DnV rules
300-9

Certification and Warranty Survey

57

Government authorities require that recognized

bodies appraise the aspects of structural integrity
and issue a certificate
Insurance companies covering transport and
installation require the structures to be reviewed by
warranty surveyors before acceptance

Certification and Warranty Survey

58

major certification bodies are:

Det norske Veritas (DnV)
Lloyds Register of Shipping (LRS)
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
Bureau Veritas (BV)
Germanischer Lloyd (GL)

OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OIL/GAS FIELD

59

initial phases which include

seismic

field surveying
one or more exploration wells are drilled (Jack-up
drilling rigs are used for this purpose for water depths
up to 100 - 120 m; for deeper water floating rigs are
used)
results are studied and the economics and risks of
different development plans are evaluated

OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OIL/GAS FIELD

60

Factors involved in the evaluation may include

number

of wells required
fixed or floated production facilities
number of such facilities
pipeline or tanker off-loading

OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT OF AN OIL/GAS FIELD

61

As soon as exploitation is decided and approved,

there are four main technical activities, prior to
production:
engineering

and design
fabrication and installation of the production facility
drilling of production wells, taking 1 - 3 months/well
providing the off loading system (pipelines, tankers,
etc.)

Jacket Based Platform for Shallow Water

62

First the jacket is installed. The wells are then drilled

by a jack-up drilling unit standing close by with a
cantilever rig extending over the jacket
Design and construction of the topside are
progressed parallel to the drilling, allowing
production to start soon after deck installation

UPPER PACK

63

CANTILEVER

LOWER PACK

Jacket and Gravity Based Platform for Deep Water

64

The wells are drilled

from a drilling rig on
the permanent
platform
Drilling starts after
the platform is built
and completely
installed

Jacket and Gravity Based Platform for Deep Water

65

Consequently production starts between one and

two years after platform installation
In recent years pre-drilled wells have been used to
allow an earlier start of the production

st
1

Lecture Summary

66

Class Policies/Syllabus/References
Definitions/ structural concepts
Basic steps in development process

Assignment
67

Read Section 1 to 3 of
wg15a/l0100.htm#SEC_1