Offshore Fixed Platforms

BY

Saurav Sengupta
Head- Asstt. Professor
Parul university
 History of fixed drilling rig with
chronological advancements
• Drilling platform rigs are still common, but today’s
units look far different from those of 30 or 40 years
ago. Conventional platform rigs are usually loaded out
with a derrick barge. Some large platforms may have
two drilling units on them.
• To eliminate the costly derrick barge, “self-erecting”
modular rigs have been built for light workovers and
for drilling to moderate depths. Larger units that have
the capability of a 1-million-lbm hook load have been
built that are lightweight, easier to rig up/load out,
and self-erecting.
• Offshore platforms are used for exploration of Oil and Gas from
under Seabed and processing.
• The First Offshore platform was installed in 1947 off the coast of
Louisiana in 6M depth of water.
• Today there are over 7,000 Offshore platforms around the world in
water depths up to up to 1,850M
 Overview
Platform size depends on
facilities to be installed on top
side eg- Oil rig, living quarters,
Helipad etc.
Classification of water depths: –
• < 350 M- Shallow water
• < 1500 M - Deep water –
• 1500 M- Ultra deep water
• US Mineral Management
Service (MMS) classifies water
depths greater than 1,300 ft
as deepwater, and greater
than 5,000ft as
ultra-deepwater
 Fixed Platform
An offshore structure usually found in lesser depth generally installed
in development phase with afixed legs .These structures are
fabricated or installed in lesser steep areas and is hard to tow. For
installation to a deeper remote locations towing boats are used .

Types-
1.Well Protector Platform-
2.Platform with tender Unit For drillling platform
3. Self contained Template type
4. Self contained tower type
5. Gravity Platform For both drilling and
6. Tension leg platform. production purposes
 1. Well Protector Platform
1.Caisson Type-a large diameter
cylindrical type above which we can
installed a platform.

2.Jacket type- It is of truncated pyramid

structure of structural iron and tubular.
They are generally used when the
current in the sea is minimal.

Types-
a. Slip over types
b. Development types(All windows are
closed)

Uses- in shallow marine areas with

smooth environment
 Platform of Tender unit

Barge are generally used in case

of marginal fields where no
extra provision is required for
storage facility.. It is just a
floating vessel with no engine. It
is being pulled from one place to
another by using tug boats.
Barge are generally used for
transporting materials
They are used for a water depth
of 50ft.
Used in Calm sea weather.
 Self contained Template type

A multi deck structure with three decks. Its is basically a jacket made of
a tubular and through the legs of the template other legs are being
passed in order to rest on a desired position. It is a jacket structure
which is a 3D welded form of tubular members and is used as guides for
driving piles through the hollow legs of the jacket. The jacket also holds
the piles together so that it acts as a single unit against lateral forces.
For more stability skirts are used as rings and looks like bottle .

Types of Template legs

1, Eight Template
2. Ten Template

95% of offshore platform around the world are Jacket supported.

Template structure
Piling/Grouting structures
Installation of Template type structure

1. Fabrication
2. Transportation
3. Removal of jacket/template from the launge barge
4. Pile Installation
5. Grouting
6. Superstructure installation.

The use of these platforms has generally been limited to a water depth
of about 500-600 ft (150-180 m)
Procedures for installing the template
platform
 Overview of Gravity based concrete
structures

• Structures settles on the sea bed by its own weight.

• Structures was first invented in North Sea as the condition is harse
so fixed jacket structure is unable to erect.
• The whole unit is constructed near to the shore or shallow water,
moved to the target location and sink/set by its own weight. As
piling required so instead of steel , concrete was used to make this
structure.

First structure is Condeep Structure

 Concrete Gravity Based Structure
. Most gravity-type
platforms need no
additional fixing because of
their large foundation
dimensions and extremely
high weight.
A large shell consisting of
numerous shells filled with
water. These cells were
later used as storage during
production phase.
These cells are also called
bottles.
 Concrete Gravity based
structures(CGBS)
Fixed-bottom structures made from
concrete
– Heavy and remain in place on the
seabed without the need for piles
– Used for moderate water depths
upto 1000ft. Part of construction is
made in a dry dock adjacent to the sea.
The structure is built from bottom up,
like onshore structure.
– At a certain point , dock is flooded
and the partially built structure floats.
It is towed to deeper sheltered water
where remaining construction is
completed.
– After towing to field, base is filled
with water to sink it on the seabed.
– Advantage- Less maintenance
 Condeep structures
• This gravity-based structure for a platform was unique in that it was
built from reinforced concrete instead of steel.
• This platform type was designed for the heavy weather conditions and
the great water depths often found in the North Sea.
• Concrete deep water structure
• Condeep has the advantage that it allows for storage of oil at sea in its
own construction.
• It further allows equipment installation in the hollow legs well
protected from the sea.
• In contrast, one of the challenges with steel platforms is that they only
allow for limited weight on the deck compared with a Condeep where
the weight allowance for production equipment and living quarters is
seldom a problem.
 Concrete Platforms

• It consists of a base of concrete oil storage tanks from which one, three,
or four concrete shafts rise approximately above sea level.
• Platform deck itself is not a part of construction.
• Advantage is the ability to act as an oil storage unit.
• Construction and testing can be completed before floating structure
and towing it to an offshore location.
• Tolerant to overloading and degradation resulting from exposure to sea
water than steel platforms.
 Compliant Platform
Compliant platforms are those structures that extend from above the
surface to the ocean bottom and directly anchored to the seafloor by
piles and/or guidelines. The use of compliant platforms becomes more
important especially when the water depth starts increasing beyond
1000 ft because at that point the fixed platforms reach their technical
and commercial limit. As the depth increases (>1000 ft), the base of
fixed structures becomes too large and also the thickness of steel
members needs to become more because the dynamic interaction
between waves and structures reaches critical limits for the template
platform.
Common types of compliant platforms are
1. Compliant tower
2. Guyed tower

Compliant platforms is used for 1000-1500ft of water depth

 Compliant tower
These are tall structures built of cylindrical
steel members but slender in shape. Pilings
tie it to the sea bed but in a small footprint
with a narrow base. These structures do
not have the same stability as the fixed
platforms; rather they sway with the
current, waves and winds to the extent
10–15ft off-center in extreme cases.
Compliant towers are designed to have
considerable ‘mass’ and ‘buoyancy’ in their
upper regions and as a result they have a
sluggish
response to any forces because its mass
and stiffness characteristics are tuned such
that its natural period would be much
greater than the period of waves in the
extreme design environment.
 Guyed Tower
A guyed tower is a slender structure
made up of truss members, which rests
on the ocean floor and is held in place by
a symmetric array of catenary guy lines. A
guyed tower may be applicable in deep
hostile waters where the loads on the
gravity base or jacket-type structures
from the environment are prohibitively
high. A typical guyed tower contains
16–24 guy lines. As the upper portion of
the guy lines act as a stiff spring, the
lower portion along with clump weights
behave as a soft spring as they are lifted
off the bottom during heavy seas and
hence make the tower more compliant.
The towers are provided with buoyancy
tanks to assist in carrying part of the deck
load.
 Jack-up Rigs
A Jack Up is an offshore
structure composed of a hull, legs
and a lifting system that allows it
to be towed to a site, lower its
legs into the seabed and elevate
its hull to provide a stable work
deck capable of withstanding the
environmental loads.
Can be used upto 1000ft of water
depth
 Jack up Installation

1. Towing
2. Moving to the location
3. Jacking down the legs
4. Ballasting the lower tanks in the bottom of the legs
5. Adjust the hull to make a possible airgap.
6. Allow the rig to drill
 Installation of Jack-up rigs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUGRgDEjU8
 Comparison
Slot Type Jack-up Cantilever type Jack up
Suitable only for exploratory drilling as Suitable for exploratory and development
derrick can’t slide horizontally drilling as derrick can slide horizontally
both sides.

Can drill only one well from one position Mostly cantilever type rigs are
constructed today

52 Rigs slot type available worldwide. 361 Rigs cantilever type available
worldwide.
 Parts of Jack-up rig
Major Parts of Jack up rig

• Hull

• Legs & footings

• Rig equipment
Footings
Mat type Jack-up rigs

All the legs connected to one

common footing called Mat.

Designed to operate in bottom

slope of 1̊ to2̊.

Derrick can be leveled by putting

shims.

Lesser bearing pressure 500 - 600

lbs/ft2

Can operate in soft sea bed

bottom
 Footings(Independent Leg)
• Spud can at the bottom of
leg.

• S/Can exert 3500-5000 lbs/ft2

bearing load.

• Each leg can be lowered

independently.

• Each leg may have different

penetration.

• Can operate in firm & uneven

bottoms.

• Preloading done for Stability

and Safety.
 Completion Equipment
1. Temporary Guide Base- The TGB or mud mat is a circular, octagonal, or
square flat steel frame of about 400 sq. ft. in area that has compartments in
which ballast materials can be placed. It is designed to be installed through
the moonpool of a drilling vessel. The unit alone weighs about 4–8 tons, but
is heavily weighted with bags of cement, barite, or other heavy materials
before being lowered to the seabed on the end of a string of drill pipe. On
the underside of the frame four spikes or stabbing stakes project to dig into
the seabed and firmly anchor the unit. The expandable mud mat has four
expandable wings to be opened by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) once it
enters the water. In the centre of the TGB frame is a wide circular aperture
with a funnel shape projecting above it into which the bottom of another
frame the permanent guide base will fit.
 Completion Equipment
2. Permanent Guide Base(PGB)- The PGB is another heavy, steel frame,
about 3 tons in weight and square in shape, that has a wide central
aperture and a tall post in each corner through which the four guidelines
run. The PGB serves as a landing seat for the wellhead and as a guide for
drilling tools and the BOP stack, which is eventually located above the
wellhead. The posts are used to locate the BOP stack, which has
arrangements to accept them within its own frame. The PGB is run down
the guidelines to connect with the TGB and there is a funnel-shaped
projection around the aperture on its underside that inserts into the TGB’s
funnel-shaped top aperture and ensures an accurate fit. The conductor
casing (30 in. diameter) is connected at the bottom of PGB which rests on
the TGB.
 Subsea Well-head

Wellhead is an equipment attached to the top of the tubular

materials used in a well to support the strings (i.e. casings and
tubing), provide seals between the strings, and control production
from the well. In the case of a surface wellhead used either on land
or at the deck of a platform, it comprises casing heads, casing
hangers and tubing head, and tubing hanger along with sealing
elements. Figure shows a typical surface wellhead assembly
consisting of different casing heads joined one above the other and
the casing hangers seat in the bowl of the casing head to hang or
suspend the next smaller casing string securely and provide a seal
between the suspended casing
 Sequence of Offshore Drilling
1. Positioning the Rig.
2. Running the Temporary Guide Base (TGB).
3. Drilling the 36" Hole.
4. Running & Cementing the 30" Casing.
5. Installation of the Diverter.
6. Drilling the 26" Hole.
7. Running & Cementing 20’’ casing and install 18⅝“ wellhead.
8. Running in 18-3/4” bop stack and the marine riser
9. Drilling the 17½" Hole.
10. Running & Cementing the 13⅜" Casing.
11. Drilling the 12¼" Hole.
12. Preparing the Well for Completion.
13. Installing the Tubing String & Tubing Hanger.
14. Removal of the BOP Stack & Installation of the Xmas Tree.