Session: 01-01-02 Offshore Platforms II

Paper Number: 81085

81085 - State of the Art in New Semisubmersible Platform Concepts 

Owing to its unique and reasonable structural characteristics, the semi-submersible platform is born with more superior performance than SPAR, TLP and FPSO, and thus is the most vital and promising equipment for deepwater oil and gas development. Nevertheless, its inherent disadvantages have been gradually discovered through more than a decade of extensive engineering practices and in-depth theoretical research, and meanwhile, a lot of innovative work has been conducted in order to improve its performance, maximize its safety and operability, and be utilized more fully. Firstly, the shape feature of the semi-submersible platform and the operation requirement in different phase during its whole life-cycle were summarized. And the factors affecting the motion performance and stability of the semi-submersible platform and their internal relationship as well were studied according to hydrostatics and hydrodynamics. Then, the improved semi-submersible platform concepts and the innovative ones reported in the papers and the patent documents were reviewed and summarized, and then were classified by the components or the performance, such as, the innovation of the column, the innovation of the pontoon, the new types of the heave plate, the improvement of load efficiency, the improvement of air gap, the increase of stability, the increase of movability of the platform, the use of new attachments, the innovative hybrid platforms, and the increase of system integrity through constructing feedback mechanism of intelligent and automation. Meanwhile, the advantages and disadvantages of the new concepts were reviewed. Furtherly, the technical contradictions and the physical ones of the semi-submersible platform as a technology system were discerned according to the function-oriented ideas of TRIZ theory, which is the theory of inventive problem solving originated by Genrich S. Altshuler. And then, the engineering application potential of the new semi-submersible platforms were analyzed. Finally, the directions for further innovation of the semi-submersible platform were proposed. This paper aims to be enlightening to the workers engaged in offshore oil and gas production and innovative research on semi-submersible platforms.

Presenting Author: TIANYING WANG Drilling Technology Research Institute, Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Service Corporation, Dongying, China

Authors:

TIANYING WANG Drilling Technology Research Institute, Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Service Corporation, Dongying, China
Qing Cui Drilling Technology Research Institute, Sinopec Shengli Oilfield Service Corporation, Dongying, China