INTRODUCTION

SUCCESSFULLY DESIGNING
RISERS FOR DEEPWATER
FPSOS
by
Dr Hugh Howells
2H Offshore Engineering Limited

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Presented at FPS98, The Tower Thistle

Hotel, London

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DEVELOPMENT TARGETS
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Gulf of Mexico
West Africa
Campos Basin
West of Shetland
Voring Basin
Others

1500-3000m
600-2000m
900-2000m
750-1500m
800-1500m

Development targets
Challenges
Riser types
Design process
Storm and fatigue response
Materials and fabrication
Installation issues
FPSO drilling and intervention
Conclusions

DEEPWATER CHALLENGES
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Deep water
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Weight
Collapse

Severe currents

Insulation

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VIV fatigue, suppression devices

Needed to prevent hydrate formation
Increased drag

RISER TYPES
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Flexible
Rigid Catenary
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simple
buoyant wave
bottom weighted

Hybrid

FLEXIBLE RISERS
1600
1400

REQUIREMENTS FOR FUTURE

DEVELOPMENTS

1200

Export Trunk Lines

Export Feeder Lines
Production Lines
Service Lines

1000
800
600

Flexibles
400

FLEXIBLES
200
0
4

12
16
20
24
Internal Diameter (inches)

28

32

RIGID CATENARY RISERS

HYBRID RISER

Buoyant wave
VerticalSection

Flex Joint/Elbow and Weight

Assembly
Horizontal Section

Tether(3Off)
PileFoundation

Lazy Wave Catenary

Bottom Weighted

Plan Length 0.75-1.5 Depth

Mean Top Angle 10-25 degrees

Simple Catenary

TDP Touch Down Point

Simple catenary

DESIGN PROCESS
Sizing
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Configuration
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Storm loading, intact and failed mooring conditions

Fatigue
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FIRST ORDER FATIGUE LIFE

100000
Unfactored Fatigue Life (years)

Buoyant Wave Catenary Riser

Burst, collapse, installation

First and second order

VIV

10000
1000
100
10
1
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1000

Installation
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2000

3000

4000

Distance from Vessel (m)

Dir 1

Dir 2

Dir 3

Dir 4

Dir 5

Dir 6

Dir 7

Dir 8

Weather windows - when, how long?

VIV FATIGUE

MATERIALS & FABRICATION

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Simple Catenary Riser

VIV DAMAGE - TRANSVERSE CURRENTS

Fatigue Damage (Per Year)

FIRST ORDER FATIGUE

Conventional
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0.001
1E-06

1E-09
1E-12

1E-15

Alternatives
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1E-18
1E-21
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0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Typically up to X65 steel

Single sided welding
High quality pre-fabrication in critical areas

Titanium - local high strength, corrosive fluids

Composite? - water injection

Location Along Riser from TDP (x/L)

Bin 1
Bin 15

Bin 3
Bin 18

Bin 6
Bin 21

Bin 9
Bin 25

Bin 12
Total

FPSO DRILLING AND

INTERVENTION

INSTALLATION ISSUES
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Weather windows - increased time, current

Tension - limitation for large diameter lines
Tow-out - optimum method, fatigue damage
Reeled pipe - residual stresses
Running - use of mechanical connectors
VIV suppression - effect on method

Top-Tensioned Risers
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Catenary moored vessels, West Africa, well access and

drilling

Compliant Vertical Access Risers (CVAR)

FPDSO

Catenary or turret mooring, CT intervention

Offset hybrids for production and import, drilling
through turret

CONCLUSIONS

Rigid risers essential for feasibility of many

current developments
Riser and vessel selection dependent on
location
Many new concepts under evaluation

Key development targets

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Drilling and intervention capability

VIV analysis and testing - SHEAR7, VIVA
Fatigue performance of girth welds and reeled pipe
Installation methods