Kovend Munirajan

B00695211
DALHOSUIE UNIVERSITY
CHEE 4803 – Oil and Gas Processing
ASSIGNMENT 1

Submission date……………………………………………………………….29/01/2018
Objectives:
1. To be able to understand the principles and rationale behind the use of different offshore
production platforms
2. To be able to match each offshore production system to related water depths
3. To be able to know where these productions systems are used
Tasks
You are to perform the following tasks:
1. Give the engineering definition of each platform
2. Explain the design and operating principles
3. Identify the water depth it is mostly used
4. Identify what field size determines the preference for a platform over the other for the
same water depth
5. For each platform give at least one location where it is used as a production system

Question
The following are the offshore oil and gas production systems encountered in the petroleum
industry:
Fixed platforms
 A fixed platform consists of a welded tubular steel jacket, deck and surface facility. The
jackets and decks act as the foundation for the surface facilities.
 The stands are physically attached to the sea floor. The legs are build using concrete and
steel, to secure drilling platform in an offshore
 Very stable, limited exposure to movement due to wind and water.
 Low cost compared to other facilities but immovable
 Installed in large oil field for maximum profit
 The water depth for the fixed platform is approximately 2000 ft or 610m
 Used in Manatee Field, Gulf of Mexico
Kovend Munirajan
B00695211

Complainant platforms
 Almost similar like fixed platforms but they consist of a narrow tower attached to a
foundation on the seafloor up to the platform
 The design is consisted of a narrow and flexible framed structures supported by piled
foundations
 Flexible, opposed to the rigid legs of a fixed platform.
 This enabled to operate in deep water and able to absorb pressure caused by wind and
sea; also hurricane conditions.
 The depth for the complainant platform ranges from 1000 to 3000 ft (310 to 900m )
 Relatively lower cost than gravity based structures but it has much higher risk than
gravity based structure.
 Effective for large and medium scale oil field; simple and cheaper construction cost
Semi-submersible platforms
 A floating type platform, which shares similar working mechanism of a submarine. It
uses buoyancy concept to keep the rig safe and reduce the effect of the ocean waves.
 Semi-submersible platform (SSP) is an offshore oil rig consist of floating drill that
includes columns and pontoons.
 the rig is a floating deck supported by submerged pontoons. A series of anchors and
mooring lines are used to keep the platform secure.
 The depth ranges from 2900 –3900 ft ( 900 to 1200m)
 This works great for harsh water and has high mobility but has high cost of drilling.
 Recommended for a small scale oil field.
 Gulf of Mexico, Brazilian coast
Jack-up platforms
 Floating platform, often used in super deep water ( more than 1500m)
 Jack-up platforms has a self-elevating rig, and it is used for smaller, shallower offshore
deposits
 The rig’s floating platform is towed into position by barges, then lowers its support legs
down to the sea floor, raising the rig above the water’s surface.
 Highly mobile and low construction cost but much lower drilling capacity.
 Jack platforms are widely because of low construction cost. Once extraction is done it
can be placed on the heavy lift vessel for transport.
 Singapore shore
Kovend Munirajan
B00695211

Floating production systems

 Floating production system consist of storage and offloading systems
 It is equipped with ship-shaped vessels with storage and treatment facilities. Serves both
floating and subsea production arrays.
 Floating production systems is consisted of a semi-submersible unit which has drilling
and production equipment. Wires, chains and ropes are used to secure it in place by
anchoring them into the seabed.
 Uses large pontoon structure to keep it stationary. When the pontoons are in contact with
water they would submerge to a certain height to float the platform.
 No weight constraint and has great flexibility but relatively small scale platforms cannot
extract much
 Used in water depth beyond 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
 Mostly in the Gulf of Mexico, off China-Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Australia
Tension leg platforms
 A floating type platform, which includes floating surface structure with vertical tendons
attached to seafloor by pile-secure templates.
 Tension leg platforms use tethers to contact with seabed so the platform can float in sea.
The tethers make the structure rigid in vertical direction and flexible in horizontal plane.
 Has less cost of maintenance and can be easily fabricated and commissioned at the quay
side.
 The disadvantage of this type are the tendons are expensive than the main platform and
the installation involves higher risk; however, they are very useful in large complex fields
with high production. The revenue might be critical if a small platform is used.
 TLP’s are attached to the bottom with tendons in tension. Used in depth of 1000 to 5000
ft ( 305 to 1525 m)
 North Sea-Angola, Indonesia, Equatorial Guinea
Gravity-based structures
 A fixed platform that needs no additional piles as it has a large and heavy foundation
made from concrete to secure it on seabed.
 Gravity based structure use concrete materials normally for its construction purpose.
After towing to field, base is filled with water to sink it on the seabed.
 It is good oil extractions abiity and suits harsh environment conditions but it is immobile
as it is fined on the seabed and complex to build.
 Since it is a fixed structure to the seabed, it would at best to install in a large oil
extraction.
 The water depth is around the moderate range which is around 350 to 1500m.
 Hibernia Oilfield south east of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Kovend Munirajan
B00695211

Spar platforms
 A floating type platform consist of large cylinder to support a typical fixed rig deck and
to stabilize the platform in water.
 The cylinder is connected with a series of cables and lines to tether the bottom and
therefore itself does not touch the seafloor. It has among the highest resistance for water
movements and potential hurricanes.
 It is a wellheads type which is encircled by helical strakes to mitigate the effects of
vortex-induced motion.
 Spar platforms can accommodate production trees on the platform dock and storage units,
it is less sensitive than tension leg platform in deep water.
 Spar platforms can have the ability to have vertical access to wells and allow surface
welheads.
 Limited center well space for large number of spar top tension risers. Less support for top
tension risers in very deep water. Expensive model and sensitive to environment.
 Spars units can be installed in water depths of 6,000 ft (1,800 m) or more
 Gulf of Mexico, USA Coast, Malaysia

Reference
Offshore-mag.com. (2018). Fixed platforms remain important production facilities after more than 60
years. [online] Available at: http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/print/volume-67/issue-
9/supplement/fixed-platforms-remain-important-production-facilities-after-more-than-60-years.html
[Accessed 26 Jan. 2018].
Offshore Technology. (2018). Manatee Field, Gulf of Mexico - Offshore Technology. [online] Available
at: https://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/manatee/ [Accessed 26 Jan. 2018].
Valenchon, C. (2006). Overview: Offshore Facilities: Construction and Design (February 2006). Journal
of Petroleum Technology, 58(02), pp.68-68.