INTRODUCTION TO OFFSHORE STRUCTURES

INTRODUCTION
• Used for oil & gas exploration from under sea bed.

• Used for processing of oil and gas.

• First offshore platform was installed in 1947 off the coast of

Louisiano in 6m water depth.

• Today we have 7000 offshore platforms around the world in water

depths up to 1850m.

• Platform size depends on the facilities to be installed on topside.

• Top side facilities – oil rig, living quarters, helipad etc.

• Material – steel- mild steel to HSS and concrete.

 OIL RIG AND PLATFORM
• Rig – used for drilling of the wells.

• Platforms – installed in the field for oil/gas operation.

• general life span of the structure is 25 years.

Offshore structures

Fixed structures floating structures

1. Jacket platform 1. semi-submersibles
2. Complaint tower 2. SPAR
3. Gravity based structure 3. FPSO
4. TLP
 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STAGES
1) Investment feasibility studies
2) Construction site survey including diving inspections of installation
locations.
3) Conceptual, basic and detailed design
4) Platform element strength calculations
5) Design approval by the regulating authorities
6) Procurement
7) Fabrication of steel structures
8) Preparation of platform elements transportation and offshore
installation procedures.
9) Loadout, transportation and installation operations
10) Commissioning.
 DESIGN OF OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
The design and analyses of offshore platforms must be done taking into
consideration many factors, including the following important
parameters:

1) Environmental (initial transportation, and in-place 100 year storm

conditions)

2) Soil characteristics

3) Code requirements (AISC, API)

4) Intensity level of consequences of failure.

5) The entire design, installation and operation must be approved by

the client.
 DIFFERENT TYPE OF ANALYSES
1) In-place analysis 2)Earthquake analysis

3) Fatigue analysis 4) Impact analysis

5) Temporary analysis 6) Load-out analysis

7) Transportation analysis 8) Appurtenances analysis

9) Lift and launch analysis 10) Upending analysis

11) Up righting analysis 11) unpiled stability analysis

13) Pile and conductor pipe drivability analysis

14) Cathodic protection analysis

15) Installation analysis

 API CODES
1) API-RP-2A - Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing
and constructing Fixed offshore platforms.
2) API-RP-2T - Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing
and constructing Tension Leg Platforms.
3) API-RP-2SK - Designing and Analysis of Station keeping
system for Floating structures.
4) API-RP-2FPS - Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing
and constructing Floating Production system.
5) API BULLETIN 2V - Design of Flat plate structures.
6) API BULLETIN 2U - Bulletin on stability design of cylindrical shells.
7) API RP 2l - Helicopter landing pads/ decks on offshore
platforms
 ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS
• API specifies minimum design criteria for a 100 year design storm.

• Wave height may be as much as 21 meters (depending on water depth)

and wind velocities of 170 km/hour

• The lowest deck should maintain a minimum of 1.5 m air gap between
the bottom of the deck beams and the wave crest.

• Platform should resist the loads generated by the environmental

conditions and loadout transportation and installation loads plus other
loads generated by onboard equipment.
 GEOTECHNICAL DATA
• Soil investigation is the essential part of the design of offshore
structures.

• Important becoz of the resistance to enormous forces and movements

present in the piling.

• Under seabed soil can be clay, sand, silt or a mixture of these.

• Soil report should show the calculated minimum axial capacities for
piles, SRD curves, different types of mud mat bearing capacity, pile
group action curves.

• It also show shear resistance values and pile tip end bearing values.

• Different curves to predict the values are: 1) pile axial capacity values
are called “T – Z” 2)shear values – “ P-Y” 3) end bearing values – “Q-Z”
 GEOTECHNICAL DATA
• These values, once provided to the engineer by the geotechnical
engineers, will be input into the structural analysis model (normally in
StruCad, FASTRUDL of SACS software) and will determine minimum pile
penetrations and size considering a factor of safety of 1.5.
• For operating loads the FOS must be 2.0 for piles.
• The unity check ratios must not exceed 1.0 in the piles or anywhere
else in the platform. (API 1996)
• Pile penetrations will vary depending on platform size, loads and soil
characteristics. Usually 30m to 100 m. [ 2m dia pile, 70m under sea bed
in Persian Gulf]
• Sandy soils are very desirable for axial end bearing. Clay – no good
support.
 SOFTWARE USED IN THE PLATFORM
DESIGN
For Structural Analysis:

(i) SACS, (ii)FASTRUDL, (iii)MARCS, (iv)OSCAR, (v)StruCad or

SESAM

For Hydrodynamic calculations:

(i) Maxsurf, Hydromax, Seamoor

For Pile Analyses:

(i)GRLWEAP, PDA, CAPWAP

 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
• A model should be developed using the available software packages
• Model should include all principal members of the structure,
appurtenances and major equipment.
• Structural model file consists of:
(i) the type of analysis, the mudline elevation and water depth
(ii) Member sizes
(iii) Joints definition
(iv) Soil data (i.e mudmat, bearing capacity, pile groups, T-Z , P-Y, Q-Z
curve points)
(v) Plate groups
(vi) Joint coordinates
 STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
(vii) Marine growth input
(viii) Interia and mass coefficients (CD and CM) input.
(ix)Distributed load surface areas
(x) wind areas
(xi) Anode weights and locations
(xii) Appurtenances weights and locations
(xiii) Conductors and piles weight and location
(xiv) Grouting weight and locations
(xv) Load cases include dead, live and environmental loading, crane loads, etc.)
 Analysis should include the equipment weights and a maximum deck live loading
in addition to other loads.
static linear – above mudline
 Structural analysis
static non – linear – soil with piles.
CLIENT PERMITS AND APPROVAL PROCESS
• All offshore platform designs (structural or facilities) must be approved by the
client.
• The analysis result must demonstrate that the platforms have been designed
using standard accepted methods.
• The structures should be able to perform adequately in accordance within the
design parameters as prescribed by the API RP -2A and the AISC codes or
other codes.
• The permit application package must contain an analysis summary and show
the maximum foundation design loads and unity checks.
• Must have attached copies of the soil report and the certified structural
construction drawings.
• Complete package [drawings, analyses, report] must be signed by the
Consultant Lead Engineer, Project Manager and submitted to the client.
 FABRICATION
• API lists the recommended material properties for structural steel
plates, steel shapes and structural steel pipes.
• As a minimum, steel plates and structural shapes must conform to the
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) grade A36 (yield
strength, 250 Mpa).
• For higher strength applications, the pipe must conform to API 5L,
grade X52.
• All materials welds and welders should be tested carefully.
• For cutting, fitting, welding and assembling, shop drawings are
necessary.
• A suitable fabrication yard on shorelines should be selected.
• Yard must be well equipped and large enough.
 LOADOUT AND TRANSPORTATION
• Offshore structures generally built onshore in ‘fabrication yards’ for
cost savings and to facilitate construction.

• Upon completion will be loaded out and transported offshore to the

final assembly site onboard a vessel.

• All the stages of the load out of the structure should be considered and
the stresses should be checked.

• Before transportation of the platform, a sea fastening analysis is

performed and platform parts [jacket, decks and appurtenances] are
fastened to the barge.

• In the transportation analysis the motions of roll, pitch, heave and yaw
should be considered.
 LOADOUT AND TRANSPORTATION
• Transportation analysis – environmental report (worst sea state) –
throughout the intended route.

• Generally, based on Noble Denton criteria for transportation, it may

assume a 20 degree angle of roll with a 10 second roll period, and a
12.5 degree angle of pitch with a 10 second period plus a heave
acceleration of 0.2g
 INSTALLATION
• All the structural sections of an offshore platform must also be
designed to withstand the lifting/launching, upending, uprighting and
other installation stresses.

• In case of Jacket:
– Must be designed to be self supporting during the pile driving and
installation period.

– Mudmats - bottom – horz. Brace level- before completion of the pile

driving operation. Made of stiffened steel plates.

– Piles – stresses during pile driving operations. Installed in sections. Field

welding.
Examples of the dimensions, weights and
costs of some platforms.
In Persian Gulf : JACKET

Water depth : 72 m

Total weight : 10,000 tonnes

Jacket & piles : 3000 tonnes

Production platform : 7000 tonnes

Price : 80,000,000 USD

For offshore complex : 400,000,000 USD (for 4 platforms

and pipelines to shore)

Detail design contract price : 3% to 5% of total price

Procurement portion price : about 55% of total price.

Examples of the dimensions, weights and
costs of some platforms.
In Caspian Sea : Semi - submersible

Water depth : 1,000m

Total weight : about 30,000 tonnes

Price : 350,000,000 USD

For offshore complex : 60,000,000 USD (for 3 tug boats)

Detail design contract price : 3% to 5% of total price

Procurement portion price : about 55% of total price.

 GENERAL GUIDELINES – SELECTION OF
PLATFORM
WATER DEPTH DRILLING OIL/ GAS EXTRACTION
Up to 150 m Tender rig or Jack-up rig Jacket platform (template)
Between 150 – 300 m Semi- submersible rig Jacket platform

Between 300 – 400 m Semi- submersible rig Guyed – tower platform

Between 400 – 1800 m Semi- submersible rig Tension leg platform

More than 1800 m Drill ship rig Tension leg, subsea or SPAR
platforms
Importance of fabrication, installation, time factor, expense and procedures are the
main criteria for the selection of platform.

Ref: “An overview of Design, Analysis, Construction and Installation of Offshore

Petroleum Platforms suitable for cyprus oil/Gas field” - Kabir Sadeghi.