T
echnological developments have revolutionised deepwater drilling and
production in recent years and the need for high performance, robust
and dependable solutions has never been greater. This is because in
the harsh environments presented by the offshore world, the requirement for
equipment to operate safely and effectively while providing peace of mind is
paramount.
As such, equipment andmachinery now face greater performance
demands. This is not only putting greater pressure on products to perform
to stricter specifications, but also to last longer and guarantee user safety in
dangerous environments.
This article specifically looks at what legislation is in place to help drive
improved performance and efficiency for mooring buoyancy across the industry.
Exceeding limitations
The oil and gas industry is renowned for continuously pushing boundaries.
Offshore exploration has beenmoving to deepwater fields as demands for wells
to drill deeper and reach further in order to providemore cost‑effective and
safe well completions have grown. Adding to this challenge is the requirement
to extract more oil and gas than ever before, and exploit ever‑harsher reservoir
environments in new locations around the world.
In this difficult climate, customers require superior, cost‑effective solutions
with an increased focus on longer life and total cost of ownership. There was
a time when customers required products that could last 20 years – now this
requirement is often up to 40 years.
When it comes to choosing themost suitablemodular buoyancy system to
handle these challenges, it is logical and sensible to specify a solution, which
more thanmeets minimum industry requirements. The nature of amodular
buoyancy systemmeans that huge loads are placed on themduringmooring,
impacted by increasing changes in vessels and structure type. Should they fail,
pipelines and vessels could suffer significant damage. Similarly, reputation
could be at stake too. The right system should bemanufactured with specific
design, material selection and stringent testing parameters inmind, to enable
the product to perform for its lifetime.
Dated infrastructure
Rather worryingly, there are a high number of ageing platforms around the
globe. Of those residing in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), many are in need of
upgrading in order tomeet the new, extended lifetime of projects.
To clarify, this means that roughly half of the region’s oil and gas production
platforms – which number more than 3000 – have been operating longer than
their designers intended. In addition, roughly a third date back to the 1970s or
earlier, long before the development of modern construction standards.
This has a significant effect on safety, as equipment could be severely
degraded or corroded after somany years of use. Therefore, older structures can
ANDY SMITH, TRELLEBORG, UK,
ASKS HOW THE MOORING BUOYANCY
INDUSTRY CAN RESPOND TO THE
DEMANDS OF DEEPWATER DRILLING
AND LEGISLATION WHILE ENSURING
PRODUCTS DELIVER PERFORMANCE AND
SAFETY IN THE LONG TERM.
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