Arctic Drilling and Production Platform Concept

Engel, David J.; Pajouhi, Keikhosrow K.; ,

Arctic Drilling and Production Platform Concept

by David J. Engel, Raymond Kaiser Engineers Inc, Houston, TX, USA,
Keikhosrow K. Pajouhi, Raymond Kaiser Engineers Inc, Houston, TX, USA,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Civil Engineering in the Arctic Offshore

Abstract:

An 80-well Arctic drilling and production platform for water depths to 100 feet in the Beaufort Sea transition ice zone is presented. It includes a novel inner caisson to help resist large global ice forces, and its modified monocone shape encourages the formation of protective ice rubble mounds. The size and shape of the support structure provide ample towing stability, both intact and damaged, and crash bulkheads around its periphery provide added safety against collision with ice. The shallow draft of 24 feet improves the probability of successfully traversing Point Barrow. The concept lends itself to minimum construction time by allowing several major activities to proceed in parallel and by the use of graving dock fabrication, float-out and assembly. The use of lightweight prestressed concrete in the inner cells of the support structure, combined with dense stone concrete in the outer shell, allows the structure to resist very large ice loads both locally and globally.

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