Name

Type

Environmental Conditions

Functions

Jack Up
Platform

Fixed
Structur
e

Jacket
Platform

Fixed
Structur
e

Gravity
Platform

Fixed
Structur
e

Complia
nt
Tower

Fixed
Structur
e

Generally used in shallow waters

up to depth of 120 m but
premium and ultra-premium jackups can be used up to depth of
150 to 190 m.

Used for moderate depths up to

400m.
Natural period (2.5 seconds) kept
below wave period (14 - 20
seconds) to avoid amplification

Used for moderate depths up to

300 m.

Used for moderate depths from

450 m to 900 m.
Natural period (30 seconds) kept
above wave period (14 - 20
seconds) to avoid amplification
Can handle significant lateral
forces.

95 % of the
offshore platforms
used for oil
exploration are
jacket platforms

To support offshore
wind farms.
Used as offshore oil
platform.

Ship
Shaped
Vessel
(FPSO)

Floating
Structur
e

Depth of 2600 m.

As Mobile Offshore
Drilling Unit (MODU)
- oil and natural gas
drilling.
As Turbine
Installation Vessel
(TUV) - offshore
wind turbine
installation.

No oil storage
capacity.
Production through
tensioned rigid
risers and export by
flexible or catenary
steel pipe
Floating, Production,
Storage and
Offloading (FPSO)
Integral oil storage
capacity inside hull eliminates need for
expensive pipeline

Drill
Ship

Semisubmer
sible

Floating
Structur
e

Floating
Structur
e

Used for water depths up to 3700

m.

Exploratory drilling
of new oil or gas
wells in deep water.

As Mobile Offshore
Drilling Unit (MODU)
Semi - Submersible
Crane Vessels
(SSCV) for Offshore
construction.
Offshore Support
Vessels (OSV)
Historically, used as
marker buoys, for
gathering
oceanographic data,
and for oil storage
Recently used for
drilling and
production

Used for ultra deep water for

depths up to 3000 m.

Spar
platfor
m

Floating
Structur
e

Tension
Leg
Platform

Complia
nt
Structur
e

Guyed
Tower

Complia
nt
Structur
e

Spar structure- used up to depth

of 2300m.
Heave natural period of 30
seconds

Used for depths up to 1200 m.

medium depth - between 200

and 600 m.
Natural period (30 seconds) kept
above wave period (14 - 20
seconds)

Offshore production
of oil and gas
Proposed for
supporting wind
turbines