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Abstract The Western and South Western Barents Sea is the offshore area south ofBjørnøya and east towards the newly agreed delineation boundary between Norwayand Russia while limited by the Norwegian mainland to the south. In this area, the Snøhvit gas field is in production and the Goliat oilfield is being developed. Recently, encouraging oil finds (Skrugard and Havsul)have increased the interests in the geology and the oil and gas potential ofthe area. The older seismic (acquired more than 30 years ago) of the formerdisputed area between Russia and Norway shows potential for large hydrocarbonfinds, although there would be a possibility that the hydrocarbons might haveleaked out from the prospects. This paper summarizes the large challenges for the marine constructioncontractors working in these areas and discusses various phenomena that affectthe marine operations at extreme cold climate conditions:Long fetch length towards the west causes long periodic waves, necessitating vessels with good motion characteristics outside the range of awide wave spectrum. Of particular importance is drilling rigs and drill shipsthat can work effectively in long periodic waves. The normal wind and wave conditions during the summer construction seasonis as for the Norwegian Sea, however, during fall and winter, the weather canbe extremely challenging. Of particular concern is the unpredictability of theweather caused by suddenly occurring polar lows, a phenomena caused by outburstof low air pressures from the ice edge to the north. The polar lows combinedwith low temperatures can cause vessel icing and loss of vessel stability forconstruction vessels with deck equipment having high centre of gravity. Furthermore, long distances and weak infrastructure lead to logisticschallenges as well as challenges related to evacuation and emergency response, in particular for activities outside the main construction season. It must alsobe noted that ice could be encountered early in the construction season, although very rarely, and that ice monitoring is important should activitiesstart as early as March and April. The marine construction contractor will have to show patience when workingin the area. Joint efforts, improved knowledge, top standard equipment and goodunderstanding of the roles of the contractor and the oil company should, however, ensure successful project execution, also in this cold climateregion.
- Europe > Norway > Barents Sea > PL 532 > Block 7220/8 > Johan Castberg Field > Tubåen Formation (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > Barents Sea > PL 532 > Block 7220/8 > Johan Castberg Field > Stø Formation (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > Barents Sea > PL 532 > Block 7220/8 > Johan Castberg Field > Nordmela Formation (0.99)
- (111 more...)
Use of Jack-up Drilling Units in Arctic Seas with Potential Ice Incursions during Open Water Season
Wang, Cynthia (Keppel Offshore & Marine Technology Centre) | Quah, Matthew (Keppel Offshore & Marine Technology Centre) | Noble, Peter G. (ConocoPhillips) | Shafer, Randall (ConocoPhillips) | Soofi, Khalid A. (ConocoPhillips) | Alvord, Chip (ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.) | Brassfield, Tom (ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.)
Abstract Jack-up drilling units have been used in Arctic open water seasons and areaswith icebergs. They have not been used in areas where significant sea ice canmove in with high concentrations. These areas have typically been drilled usinga floating mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) although the water depths aretypically less than 50 meters. Floating MODUs in shallow water depths can havesignificant downtime due to the limited offset in shallow water and typicallyrequire placing the well control equipment in a seabed cellar. In these areas, jack-ups can improve both operational safety and efficiency as they havelimited weather related downtime. Several studies were carried out to determine the feasibility of using amodern high capacity jack-up MODUs for exploratory drilling in these areas. This paper will review the studies including structural analysis, icemanagement approaches, and well control considerations. It will also review thefurther potential of jack-ups in the Arctic. Studies showed that using a jack-up drilling unit is feasible in shallowArctic seas such as the Chukchi Sea when coupled with an effective icemanagement system. The jack-up unit has sufficient ice resistance to withstandinteraction with thin early winter ice. Specific designs of jack-ups arecapable of taking impact forces from thicker ice floes that may occur during anice incursion event during the open water season. The maximum floe size duringan ice incursion is limited and controlled by the associated icemanagement system. An ice management system was developed using a combination of satelliteimagery, ice management vessels, and ice alert procedures. This system wasdetermined as effective in managing ice to allow the jack-up to operate in theChukchi Sea area. Environmental and personnel safety is enhanced by the use of aPre-positioned Capping Device, an in place source control device. The device isindependent from the rig's well control system and provides another level ofprotection in additional to the jack-up's BOP. The conclusion, based on structural and ice management studies, is thatmodern high capacity jack-up drilling units can be an effective way to drillwells during the open water season in shallow waters of Arctic seas includingareas in to which sea ice can move. The studies also show that there ispotential for use in other areas.
- North America > United States > Texas > Harris County > Houston (0.28)
- North America > United States > Alaska (0.28)
- North America > United States > Alaska > North Slope Basin > Burger Field > Kuparuk Formation (0.94)
- North America > United States > Alaska > Beaufort Basin (0.89)
Abstract TOTAL Exploration & Production has been active in cold environmentssince 1970 (i.e. drilling in the Arctic Islands in Canada) and has beenoperating the Russian Kharyaga field since 1999. For its first experiences inthose challenging conditions, TOTAL applied its internal rules andspecifications that were not aimed at this kind of environments but to" classic" prospects, the main assets being in the Guinea Golf, in the NorthSea, the Middle East and in South East Asia. As the prospects and TOTAL'sportfolio have developed in areas where temperatures are below −15°C, such asKashagan field in Kazakhstan or Yamal in Russia, an " Extreme Cold" taskforcewas put together several years ago. The aim is to gather feedbacks from thepast and to centralize the Research & Development activities to look forinnovative solutions for the future and on-going projects. The workgroup isorganized around several panels, one of those being the Health and Safetyaspects for the operations in Extreme Cold conditions. From partnership throughJIPs, internal research and workshops with affiliates (mainly in Norway, Russiaor Canada), and projects teams, it has been decided to produce internalguidelines in order to define and harmonize the practices, acknowledging thateach field has its own meteorological constraints, and to gather the resultsfrom the multiple actions carried out by TOTAL headquarters or affiliates. Themethodology and the risk analysis performed to obtain a common technical basiswill be here presented. Introduction TOTAL Exploration & Production (E&P) has been active in coldenvironments since 1970 (i.e. drilling in the Arctic Islands in Canada) and hasbeen operating the Russian Kharyaga field since 1999. To properly develop suchassets and increase its presence in these conditions, TOTAL E&P has to useits current skills and develop methods to ensure that its operations arecarried out with the best up to date practice while ensuring the health andsafety of workers and limiting its environmental impact in sensitive regions. Extreme cold conditions raise specific hazards and issues and increase riskscompared with " conventional" installations located in a less hostileenvironment. These harsh conditions may directly or indirectly impactfacilities, industrial operations and/or personnel. Analysis of all availablemetocean data, hindcast and forecast, is crucial for such projects in order tosafely design the installations and to maintain them for as long as the projectis being developed (30 years in this case). Climate change data are alsocrucial. The identification of such risks is necessary from the conceptualstage, as is an understanding of the local environment. As TOTAL's portfolio in extreme cold conditions continues to develop, it isnecessary to ensure that the feedbacks are integrated and that the propertechnologies and skills are developed. As will be described later on, this ismainly ensured via the Company own standards (through a set of requirements, recommendations and guidelines) and databases accessible internally.
- North America (1.00)
- Asia (1.00)
- Europe > Russia > Northwestern Federal District > Nenets Autonomous Okrug (0.69)
- North America > Canada (0.99)
- Europe > Russia > Northwestern Federal District > Northwestern Federal District > Nenets Autonomous Okrug > Timan-Pechora Basin (0.99)
- Europe > Russia > Northwestern Federal District > Nenets Autonomous Okrug > Timan-Pechora Basin > Pechora-Kolva Basin > Kharyaga Licence > Kharyaginskoye Field (0.99)
- (9 more...)
Abstract The development of arctic resources requires wells to be drilled, cased, andcemented through permafrost. Permafrost presents unique challenges, especiallyto cementing operations, requiring a cement system with the capability toperform in the subfreezing permafrost environment. The performance required isthat the cement provides isolation, exhibits low heat of hydration, and setswith sufficient strength to provide casing support. There are also specifictesting requirements detailed in API recommended practices. In the polar region, there are several approaches used in the design of cementsystems. The approaches used in Russia, Canada, and USA (Alaska) areillustrated. The design considerations take into account local conditions andrequirements and use knowledge from cementing practices employed in thedrilling industry. It is important to understand the current cementing practices in use withinthe arctic region. This will allow future improvements as more developmenttakes place and the resources become exploited. Introduction To be successful, hydrocarbon resource development in arctic regions mustmeet the challenges posed by drilling, casing, and cementing wells throughpermafrost layers in the remote arctic environment. The Russian Far East, forexample, is almost completely covered in permafrost and holds significant gasreserves that remain largely untapped due to the remoteness of the area and thecomplexity of drilling through the permafrost layers. Offshore operations areadditionally impacted by sea ice, which does not directly affect cementingoperations; however, the short operational window certainly requires detailedplanning and reliable performance. The remoteness of arctic locations affects all aspects of development, impacting overall logistics: access, timing, and materials delivery andstorage. In addition, several of the challenges faced during the initialdevelopment phases affect the subsequent cement job and cementing practices. These challenges need to be addressed as part of the overall development plan;they include borehole maintenance, casing centralization, and mud conditioningand removal, and all require careful consideration of the permafrost.
- Europe (1.00)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.46)
- North America > United States > Colorado (0.28)
- (2 more...)
- Well Drilling > Drilling Fluids and Materials > Drilling fluid selection and formulation (chemistry, properties) (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Drilling Fluids and Materials > Drilling fluid management & disposal (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Cement formulation (chemistry, properties) (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Casing design (0.94)
Abstract Experts from the oil and gas industry are sure that the " easy oil" is nearlygone. Due to that the oil and gas industry has to face more and morechallenging deposits like those in ultra-deep waters or in the Arctic. To copewith these challenges, thinking out of the box will be required in some cases. To find the most effective solution, to shorten development time and to avoidunnecessary failures technology transfer from other industries can be ashortcut to unlock the Arctic reserves in a safe and economic way. A potential technology provider can be the military submarine industry. Thispaper postulates submarines and their technology portfolio as a potentialsource of solutions for some of the future oil and gas challenges in the Arcticenvironment. Todays' non-nuclear submarines operate in a cost efficient waywith minimum risks to the crew, the operator and the environment. To prove this, after a short introduction into the submarines historyshowing their development and today's capabilities, the not obvious parallelsbetween the vessels and systems from oil and gas industry and the conventionalmilitary submarines will be carved out by comparing their basic designrequirements. A selection of technologies developed for conventional militarysubmarines will be introduced and the potential usage of these technologies tofulfill the oil and gas needs, occurring especially but not only in the Arcticenvironment, will be presented afterwards. Finally submarine concepts will beintroduced providing the ability to perform operations for the oil and gasindustry weather independent and beneath the ice in the Arctic Ocean. Introduction Harsh weather conditions, ice in a variety of forms: permanent darkness, remoteness, often reduced range of sight, a very sensitive and fragileecological environment; these are some of the aspects of the Arctic challenge. They will enforce modifications and in some cases a change of technologies awayfrom those usually applied within the oil and gas industry elsewhere. Especially the ecologically sensitive and fragile Arctic environment with itsharsh and misanthropic conditions requires safe and reliable technologies as akey to safe and economic operations. The level of safety and reliability achieved by today's submarines issuitable to comply with the oil and gas standards. The technology itself hasthe potential to solve some of the problems the oil and gas industry has todeal with when it comes to the Arctic challenge, making operations safer, morereliable or even just possible. From the beginning - 400 years ago - submarine technologies have beenimproved with focus on safety, reliability and performance but also with theaim to operate in a clandestine manner within the environment - a question ofsurvival for the submariners. Air independent power generation, for instance, is one of these technologies. On board of conventional, non-nuclear, submarinesthis technology is used to operate the submarine submerged over long distances. This technology could be used to enable remote subsea operations, during an icecovered period, without power supply from land or a ship.
- Europe (1.00)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.28)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Government > Military > Navy (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
Abstract Development of offshore hydrocarbon (HC) fields is today's oil and gasindustry priority in the Russian Federation. Water areas of the Arctic shelfare considered to be potential offshore HC production regions. When designingpipelines for such fields it is necessary to take into account the impact ofspecific Arctic conditions including hazardous ice impact (ice gouging), possible presence of permafrost on the seabed, lithological andgeomorphological distinctive features of bottom soils. All main parametersensuring safety of offshore pipelines must be determined and validated at theearly design stage. The paper reviews one of the main conditions that influences reliable operationof underwater pipeline systems, namely, stable position of the underwaterpipeline at design reference marks. Calculations of offshore pipeline stability on the seabed use the followingmain conditions:–environmental conditions; –geotechnical conditions of the seabed; –bathymetrical conditions (water depth); –pipeline parameters (diameter, wall thickness). Criteria of pipeline stability on the seabed include:floating up or submerging of pipeline; transversal stability; longitudinal stability. Soils with weak strength properties, especially when they are used forbackfilling, may be potentially dangerous due to liquefaction underhydrodynamic forces. It is especially dangerous in the first years of operationwhen the soil is not consolidated enough. Relief in a local zone of dilutedsoil causes longitudinal stresses in pipeline, which may result in offshorepipeline stability loss. Liquefied soil potential depends also on backfillingprocess technology. This operation is performed by special ships - dredgers. Such ship has two pipes, one for soil suction, and the other equipped withwater injection nozzles - for washing out and backfilling. When a trench isbackfilled with controlled soil flow, " front" of backfill material is formedunder pipe working head and a layer of fluidized material appears in the upperpart of this " front". Therefore, if weak soil is used as backfill material, asize of liquefied soil layer will be considerable, as well as its impact on thepipeline. This process may lead either to floating up or submerging of pipelineinto the soil. To stabilize offshore pipelines position the following measurescan be taken: backfilling with soil not subject to liquefaction; pipelinelaying below the layer of liquefied soil to eliminate risks related to soilliquefaction; using different methods of ballasting.
- Europe > Russia (0.49)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.28)
- Geology > Rock Type (0.48)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline (0.46)
Abstract The traffic volumes in arctic waters are expected to grow rapidly in thenear future. New fleets of oil and LNG carriers as well as ice classeddrillships and offshore supply vessels and icebreakers with high ice-class areneeded for the transportation and oil exploration. The recent growth inactivities in the Arctic region has materialized in several projects, whereAzipod propulsion system is playing an important role in making the projectstechnically possible and economically feasible. Azipod propulsion offers a veryattractive and efficient propulsion solution for most of these vessels. However, there is an evident need for azimuthing propulsion units with power inexcess of 15 MW with highest ice classes, such as the " new" IACS PC1. In response to the market demand ABB Marine has recently developed an Azipodpropulsion concept with high power to meet the requirements of the high arcticice classes. This paper will outline some important design considerations during thedevelopment work, such as:–different ice class rule requirements –need for overload / overtorque capacity of the electric propulsion motor inice –utilisation of measurements from full-scale ice trials with poddedpropulsion High power Azipod propulsion systems help the shipowners to accessopportunities in the Arctic areas by providing safe and reliable operation inthe region. With ABB electric propulsion and Azipod units, the shipowner getsequipment designed to meet the demanding Arctic requirements and which isproven to be reliable in ensuring safe navigation in the sensitive Arcticseas.
- Europe (0.68)
- Asia > Russia (0.46)
- North America > Canada (0.29)
- North America > United States > Texas (0.28)
- Transportation > Marine (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Transportation > Freight & Logistics Services > Shipping > Tanker (0.34)
Abstract As more attention is paid to the exploration of oil and gas resources in thehigh north, the settlement of the disputed area between Norway and Russia, andthe world's ever-rising demand for energy resources, more and more oilcompanies and suppliers are moving north. For most oil companies, rig and shipoperators and logistics providers, the Arctic represents a new frontier, whereexisting operational systems and technologies are tested to their limits. Thispaper outlines key challenges facing the development of sustainable and safemaritime offshore operation in Arctic waters. The Arctic offers challengesrelated to harsh weather conditions, long distances from bases, limited orabsent infrastructure, a sensitive ecosystem, ensuring safety at sea, potentialoil spills and operations in ice-infested waters. Arctic operations are thussignificantly different from operations in the North Sea. This state of affairsunderlines the need for new or improved organisational and business models forintegrated logistics operations, value chain management and technologicalsolutions that will ensure sustainable and safe maritime operations. It alsodemands optimised design of ships and structures for operation in the Arcticenvironment as well as improved communication infrastructure based onsatellite, terrestrial, ship-to-ship or ad-hoc systems, radar and opticalsatellites. Key features discussed will include ideas and concepts forarea-specific vessel design and multipurpose vessels, with integrated supportand logistics models and systems, base-to-base operation and tailored businessmodels for robust Arctic field operation. The aim is to ensure a holistic andintegrated transport and logistics infrastructure in sparsely populated areaswith extreme weather conditions (polar lows, darkness, fog, ice and icing), including the interplay between vessel technology and the operationalmanagement.
- Europe > United Kingdom > North Sea (0.36)
- Europe > Norway > North Sea (0.36)
- Europe > Netherlands > North Sea (0.36)
- (2 more...)
- Transportation > Freight & Logistics Services > Shipping (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Europe > United Kingdom > North Sea > North Sea Basin (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > North Sea > North Sea Basin (0.99)
- Europe > Netherlands > North Sea > North Sea Basin (0.99)
- (6 more...)
Copyright 2012, Offshore Technology Conference This paper was prepared for presentation at the Arctic Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas, USA, 3-5 December 2012. This paper was selected for presentation by an ATC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Offshore Technology Conference, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Offshore Technology Conference is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of OTC copyright.
- Europe (1.00)
- North America > United States > Texas > Harris County > Houston (0.54)
- Europe > Norway > Barents Sea > Olga Basin (0.99)
- Europe > Norway > Norwegian Sea (0.89)
Introduction One of the most serious problems in strategic pipeline projects is the needfor reliable power for unattended stations in the severe environments underwhich these pipelines must continuously operate (temperatures as low as -55°C(-67°F) in winter, roads to the stations inaccessible for long periods of timemaking the stations inaccessible for maintenance crews, etc). The objectives for high reliability in BGV/RGV operation, telecommunications, cathodic protection and SCADA/RTU systems in strategicprojects have become staggering. In areas not serviced by commercial power, theproblems faced by the power systems designers are very stringent since thestations equipment must operate continuously on a 24 hour-per-day basis 365days-per-year. A critical element in the Remote BGV/RGV Stations are the shelters that musthouse all telecommunication, SCADA/RTU, cathodic protection equipment, batteries, UPS, HVAC and fire protection equipment, etc., while maintainingtemperatures enabling correct operation of the installed equipment under thewhole range of ambient conditions, including high winds, strong earthquakes, high snow and rains. Telecommunications, SCADA, cathodic protection facilities along oil and gaspipelines are mission-critical, carrying vital performance, telemetry andcontrol data without which the pipeline cannot operate. The use of specially designed, corrosion-proof, weather-proof andwater-proof arctic type, equipment shelters has assisted in solving some of themost stringent problems of the pipeline operators: reliable operation withmaintenance requirements reduced to a visit only once in 6 months or more, andrequired temperature ranges in equipment shelters are maintained, assuringcorrect operation of the sensitive electronics for very long periods of timeexceeding 20 years. Ease and safety of transportation on difficult roads andease of installation in remote areas are paramount factors in the design andconstruction of the shelters. This paper reviews the key criteria to consider in designing the equipmentshelters and selecting their construction for remote site applications andtheir performance is reviewed. The paper goes on to present case histories inpipeline applications, in Sakhalin and Siberia, which demonstrate their fieldreliability and performance.
- North America > United States (0.69)
- Asia > Russia > Far Eastern Federal District > Sakhalin Island > Sea of Okhotsk (0.29)
- Asia > Russia > Far Eastern Federal District > Sakhalin Oblast (0.26)
- Energy > Power Industry (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Midstream (1.00)