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A Beaufort Sea Deepwater Production Structure

by Dennis V. Padron, Han-Padron Associates, New York, NY, USA,
F. Joneidi, Han-Padron Associates, New York, NY, USA,
J. F. Nixon, Han-Padron Associates, New York, NY, USA,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Civil Engineering in the Arctic Offshore

Abstract:

There will be a need for large crude oil production platforms in Beaufort Sea water depths between 20 and 50 m and at locations with soft seabed soils and far from readily exploitable sources of granular fill material. The proposed Deepwater Actively Frozen Seabed (DAFS) structure provides a potentially economical solution to the problems such conditions pose. The DAFS concept consists of a prefabricated caisson completely outfitted with all drilling and production equipment. The structure is ballasted only with water to rest on the seabed with a low bearing pressure. Active thermal piles are then driven into the seabed and the soil frozen to enhance its strength sufficiently to resist the high forces imposed by large ice features. Preliminary testing, research and analysis has been carried out to confirm that virtually any seabed soil likely to be encountered in the Beaufort Sea will develop adequate strength.

Subject Headings: Sea floor | Soil strength | Frozen soils | Soil water | Soil analysis | Offshore structures | Offshore platforms | Beaufort Sea

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