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ABSTRACT Deck installation is always a major challenge for floating structures, particularly deep draft floaters like the Spar which must be installed in relatively deep water. Derrick barges have been used for Spar deck installations until now. Murphy's Kikeh Spar, the 1st outside of the Gulf of Mexico, is the 1st Spar to use topside floatover installation technology and represents the 1st catamaran floatover installation of a topside onto a floating platform in open water. The successful execution of the Kikeh 4000Te topside floatover installation has established this method as a viable and cost effective alternative to lift installation. This paper presents an overview of the topside floatover installation for the Murphy Kikeh Spar. The paper describes all aspects of the floatover installation including topside loadout and transportation using a single barge, transfer from the transportation barge to the catamaran barge configuration, catamaran open water tow and floatover to the Spar at the Kikeh location. This paper focuses on the naval architectural, structural and operational tasks that were performed in support of these operations. INTRODUCTION New offshore developments may include several Spar type platforms with varying deck sizes ranging from 16,000 mt to 35,000 mt dry weights. Topsides for all previous Spar platforms were installed by deck lifts ranging from about 3,000 mt (Oryx single lift) to over 10,000 mt multiple lifts. The largest deck installed this way on a Spar was the Diana Deck with a dry weight of about 20,000 mt. This deck installation required five separate lifts [1]. There are potentially large advantages, particularly for the large decks, if an integrated deck could be installed using floatover methods. Some advantages include:Schedule and cost advantages for the integration and commissioning of modules on land rather than at sea, Uncoupling the deck fabrication schedules from the availability of heavy lift vessels There is a long history of successful floatover deck operations for floating Gravity Based Structures (GBS) and other floaters in protected waters ranging from the Beryl A Mobil facility in the UK North Sea, 1975, 14000mt deck weight to the Hibernia HMDC facility offshore Newfoundland Canada, 1997, 46000mt deck weight. Until recently, however, only one (1) floatover has been performed on a floating structure in open waters which was the 24,000 ton Auger TLP Deck in 1993 [3]. In 2006, the first floatover deck was installed on a Spar platform: the Kikeh Spar. This installation was performed in 1320 m water depths in the South China Sea, offshore East Malaysia. The deck weight was 4000 mt and the swell at the time of installation was Hs of 0.7m at periods of 7 - 8 seconds. This was also the first catamaran type floatover performed in open waters. The 46,000 mt Hibernia deck was set using a catamaran configuration in protected waters of Bull Arm in Newfoundland. There are some significant differences between installing decks on a fixed platform versus a floating platform, and of course between sheltered and open water installations. Some of these differences are listed below.
- Asia > Malaysia (0.88)
- Europe > United Kingdom > North Sea (0.54)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.46)
- North America > Canada > Newfoundland and Labrador > Newfoundland (0.44)
- Asia > Malaysia > Sabah > South China Sea > Sarawak Basin > Baram Delta Province > Block K > Kikeh Field (0.99)
- Asia > Vietnam (0.89)
- Asia > Philippines (0.89)
Abstract The geographical position of the landlocked Caspian Sea presented a huge challenge for the marine installation of the ACG (Azeri, Chirag, Gunashli) development offshore Azerbaijan. Access to the Caspian is limited to two canals in the north which are frozen for up to six months of the year. There was limited reliable hydrographic and meteorological data and the Caspian had a history of relaxed marine discipline. The ACG Project had a pipe lay barge, heavy lift derrick barge, transportation barge and dive support vessel available for installation activities, all requiring major upgrades prior to utilization. The Project brought in a new supply vessel that was converted into a dedicated subsea construction vessel. This paper describes the technical challenges, schedule constraints/optimisation and innovative installation solutions from project start through to offshore installation. The marine installation was successful regardless of the limitations of the vessels and equipment available. Installation included;4 Drilling Templates with 12 well slots (circa 120 te each) Six Jacket Structures (circa 16000te) in water depths from 118m to 175m. Six Floatover Topside Facilities with an installed weight of up to 15800te. 4 Brownfield Packages (water coalesor and injection equipment) 1200km of Pipelines from 4 to 30 inch diameter. 3 Subsea Remote Water Injection Manifolds 10 Subsea Remote Water Injection Trees 400km of Fibre Optic Cable for telecommunications, IT and integrated control systems. 2 Power Cable systems 5.6km and 9.6km in length to provide interfield power. 6 Wye Structures (circa 120te each) Numerous vessel upgrades were necessary to optimise the efficiency of the vessels available to the project. These were strategically planned to minimise impact on achieving key milestones. For the subsea system, facilities to receive, test and store were established. The contracting strategy with the main contractors proved successful in achieving project delivery targets. Major interfaces were managed with other delivery teams, Company Operations and third party assets. The ACG Project delivered a number of marine ‘firsts’ in the Caspian, including the floatover of 15800te topsides, wet towing of 600te jacket piles, pre-drilling templates, pin pile temporary jacket foundations and use of underwater hammers. This was achieved through creative design and installation execution strategy, integrated planning across many stakeholders and by significantly enhancing the existing marine fleet with the optimisation of vessel upgrades.
- Asia (1.00)
- Europe (0.95)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.28)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Water & Waste Management > Water Management > Lifecycle > Disposal/Injection (0.54)
- Asia > Azerbaijan > Caspian Sea > Apsheron-Pribalkhan Ridge > South Caspian Basin > Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli Field > Azeri Field (0.98)
- Europe > Russia > Volga Federal District > Volga Basin (0.89)
- Reservoir Description and Dynamics > Improved and Enhanced Recovery (1.00)
- Management > Strategic Planning and Management > Project management (1.00)
- Facilities Design, Construction and Operation > Offshore Facilities and Subsea Systems (1.00)
- Facilities Design, Construction and Operation > Pipelines, Flowlines and Risers > Offshore pipelines (0.88)
Abstract The offshore wind industry is experiencing significant global growth and with the first offshore wind project in the United States currently under construction, the budding U.S. market is poised for growth. One of the significant differentiators between new entrant markets such as the U.S. and the established European market, is the existence of an established and relatively mature supply chain. Even with the developed supply chain in Europe, there is still significant opportunity for cost reduction and effective supply chain management can be a key factor for realizing these opportunities. Construction of offshore wind projects requires a robust supply chain management system to manage the complex logistics and flows of goods and services. The serial nature of the manufacturing and installation of offshore wind farm components combined with the large sizes of the components necessitates specialized equipment and approaches to supply chain management. In emerging markets such as the U.S., additional challenges associated with vessel restrictions (e.g the Jones Act[1] and the Cargo Preference Act[2]), port infrastructure limitations, and limited domestic manufacturing of key components increase the need for strong supply chain management to ensure successful projects. The installation and transportation infrastructure, equipment, and logistics represent critical areas of the supply chain and there are numerous areas where the U.S. market can build upon experience from European experience. As the offshore wind industry develops in North America, effective supply chain management will be critical to delivering the first projects and ensuring offshore wind can be a competitive contributor to the energy supply mix.
Abstract This paper presents the overview of the Pre-Service operations for the Aasta Hansteen field development. The paper also covers the execution challenges, supporting engineering and procedures followed for the various activities. The Aasta Hansteen Field development at a water depth of 1300m is the deepest field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The field is remotely located north of the Arctic Circle, in a particularly harsh environment 300km off the coast of Northern Norway, with 140km to the closest offshore installation. In the past, the pre-service marine operations for Spar platforms were completed at the offshore field locations. The Aasta Hansteen development presented the opportunity to complete the entire pre-service operations in the sheltered waters of the deep Norwegian fjords, making it a unique, first-of-a-kind inshore pre-service operations for a Spar platform ever executed. This advantage also helped to significantly reduce the cost and complexity of the pre-service operations effort for the project. There were several firsts in the industry for the Aasta Hansteen Spar platform, namely; Largest and heaviest Spar delivered, First Spar in Norwegian waters and subject to Norwegian rules, first full pre-service scope inshore in a fjord, first requirement for Structural Tank Inspection on a Spar Hull, first requirement for a Submergence Test, largest topside catamaran mating at 22,500 Te. Many of these firsts heavily influenced the planning and execution of the Pre-Service Operations for this project. The significance of these are also highlighted in this paper.
- North America > United States (0.70)
- Europe > Norway > Norwegian Sea (0.55)
- Europe > Norway > Norwegian Sea > Vøring Basin > License 218 > Block 6707/10 > Aasta Hansteen Field > Nise Formation (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > Norwegian Sea > Vøring Basin > License 218 > Block 6706/12 > Aasta Hansteen Field > Nise Formation (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > Norwegian Sea > Vøring Basin > License 218 B > Block 6707/10 > Aasta Hansteen Field > Nise Formation (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > Norwegian Sea > Vøring Basin > License 218 B > Block 6706/12 > Aasta Hansteen Field > Nise Formation (0.99)
Abstract A floating Normally Unmanned/Unattended Installation (NUI) or "utility buoy" can provide key services to overcome flow assurance and control constraints directly at the well site. The objective of this paper is to explore how implementing an NUI can enable development of a typical Southeast Asian subsea tieback that could otherwise be considered uneconomical. The approach is based on using Buoyant Production Technologies Ltd. (BPT) floating NUI solution to provide power, chemicals, and control to subsea developments. This removes the need for a long umbilical and potentially costly host modification to accommodate a subsea tieback. A case study is presented to explore the benefits of the NUI. A low power utility buoy is sized to cater for well control and chemical injection. This simple subsea tieback is compared to a conventional approach with an umbilical to a host facility. An assessment of procurement, fabrication, installation, and operation phases is performed to identify the advantages of the utility buoy. The floating NUI design is such that fabrication location is flexible allowing for local fabrication near to the field. In addition, the transportation and installation can be performed by small locally available vessels, resulting in a cost-effective solution, and reduced environmental emissions. Material and equipment selection are focussed on high reliability and low maintenance requirements. This allows for less frequent inspection and maintenance visits, which reduces personnel risk and results in low lifecycle cost. A low power utility buoy shows significant benefits compared to a long umbilical. Combined with the flexibility and re-deployment capabilities, the buoy solution can benefit long tiebacks, as well as early production schemes. An NUI is seen as an enabler for mature regions dominated by subsea tiebacks to feed existing hubs. The improved economics, local fabrication opportunity and reusable profile all adds to the flexibility which will be needed as tiebacks become longer and developments more technically challenging and complex.
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Sustainability/Social Responsibility > Sustainable development (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment > Climate change (1.00)
- Facilities Design, Construction and Operation > Offshore Facilities and Subsea Systems > Mooring systems (1.00)
- Facilities Design, Construction and Operation > Offshore Facilities and Subsea Systems > Controls and umbilicals (1.00)