Author : Zubair Imam Syed 1
Date of Publication :1st March 2017
Abstract: Fixed offshore platforms play a central role in the production of petroleum in many regions around the world including South China Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Structural design, construction and efficient maintenance of these offshore structures are often challenging for those engineers involved. Various protective features are included in the design and construction of offshore structures to enhance the structural integrity and robustness of these platforms. In this paper, research and developments in two key protective features of offshore structures are presented. One common protective element used in a fixed platform is riser-guards to protect risers from accidental impact from supply vessels. Existing design practices for these riser-guards are based on the design guidelines of boat fenders used for naval structures. Some significant research conducted by the author’s team on the area of performance assessment of conventional riser-guards will be presented in this paper. Prospect of innovative design for riser-guards using new materials will also be discussed. Another protective structural element known as Blast Wall is used on topside of fixed offshore platforms to protect key installations and personnel from accidental explosions. The structural behavior and performance of these blast walls is vital to safeguard the people working and key assets on an offshore platform. In depth research conducted by the authors on the performance and also on the damage assessment techniques for these blast walls will also be presented in this paper.
Reference :
-
- Det Norske Veritas Guidelines: “Design Against Accidental Loads,” Oslo: Det Norske Veritas, 2010.
- J.K. Robson,“Ship/platform Collision Incident Database,” HSE Books, Norwich, 2003.
- J. M. Sohn, S. J. Kim, B. H. Kim and J. K. Paik, “Nonlinear structural consequence analysis of FPSO topside blastwalls,” Ocean Engineering, vol. 60, pp. 149-162, 2013.
- M.A. El-Reedy, “Offshore Structures Design, Construction and Maintenance,” Gulf Professional Publishing, Oxford 2012.
- American Petroleum Institute, “Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing and Constructing Fixed Offshore PlatformsWorking Stress Design”, Washington: American Petroleum Institute, 2007.
- International Standard (ISO: 19902), “Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries-Fixed Offshore Steel Structures,” vol. edition 1, Switzerland: ISO, 2007.