physical
challenge
oil & gas
Staying power
Damage to an oil and gas installation can present a serious safety
risk, but closing for repair has massive cost implications. How do
operators ensure they shut down only when absolutely necessary?
When, on 13 September 2008, storm events and has revised design The long-term view can assess the whole structural
Hurricane ike struck the gulf of standards to ensure that structures For the UK, maintaining its North system. This is important: while one
Mexico with winds of up to 74mph, cope better in the future. sea oil platforms as safe working component may yield or buckle, there
the damage was extensive. The Us “in some locations, the waves environments is a real challenge. could be enough resistance in the
Minerals Management service were hitting the offshore oil platforms “There are a number of installations structure as a whole to prevent
reported that 52 of the 1,450 higher than expected,” explains in the North sea that were only collapse. We’ve discovered that these
48 exposed offshore oil production Dr Ramsay Fraser, a director in atkins’ designed to last for 20 years,” says structures are actually more resilient
platforms were destroyed and a energy business and an expert in grant. “We now want them to last than once thought.”
further 29 were severely damaged. offshore structures. much longer.”
But it could have been even worse. “When a platform is designed, But degradation of these Damage limitation
“While the full impact of ike is still the deck is normally positioned out installations is a fact of life. “There are as oil prices can fluctuate dramatically,
being calculated, recent work to of reach of the wave crest, but at around 200 structures in the UK’s part halting production for any reason is
improve structural safety may mean some we found the waves were of the North sea and they are incredibly expensive for producers.
the damage was not as severe as in hitting the deck. This can be very regularly battered by wind and waves, “Profits have increased dramatically
past hurricanes. The lessons will take serious,” he explains. “Normally while immersed in corrosive saltwater. along with the price of oil, so there is
time to emerge,” explains atkins’ when a wave hits the tubular steel as a result, some develop defects on massive pressure to keep the platforms
Martin grant. grant is managing bracing of a platform’s legs it has a a regular basis,” says grant. in operation,” says grant.
director of atkins’ energy business, limited effect, because water passes assessing the extent of such Proving that offshore infrastructure
which has operations in some of through the vast openings. But when defects and the safety risk they is safe enough to stay operational
the world’s major oil and gas hubs, they hit a solid deck, the force can be present to workers is essential in means activities can continue while
including: the UK (aberdeen and huge and can push the structure deciding whether it is necessary to defects are repaired, which can have
london); the Us (Houston, Texas); sideways. This impact can severely repair the installation, which can huge cost-savings for the operators.
Trinidad; United arab Emirates damage the platform. mean halting production. “For some of the biggest installations,
(sharjah); China (shanghai); and “some platforms from the 1960s in the past, however, these lost production would be around
australia (Perth). and 1970s don’t have enough deck calculations have been over-cautious $10,000,000 per day, so shut-down
clearance or strength,” says Fraser. with the risk of unnecessary shut would be catastrophic,” says grant.
Force of nature “in the revised design, the decks will down of offshore infrastructure. Considering the potential financial
Between 2004 and 2005, hurricanes sit higher above the surface and the “structural resistance was losses of halting production, it’s
in the gulf of Mexico, including tubular bracing may be stronger.” calculated by checking the capacity unsurprising that operators try to
Hurricane Katrina, destroyed 113 Platform operators with offshore of each component, and the force keep platforms operating despite the
offshore oil platforms and seriously installations in the gulf of Mexico applied on it,” says Fraser. “However, damage. But, thanks to recent
damaged a further 52. since then, have been reviewing their fleets in in recent years, new software and advances, doing so is now a much
atkins has worked to learn from these light of this new knowledge. mathematical techniques mean we safer and less costly option.
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