This project studies the effects of ice on Arctic offshore structures. It aims to present a common and documented approach to achieve acceptable safety levels for offshore structure designs in cold climate regions, by adhering to the normative provision of the ISO 19906 Standard, and by supplementing it through the provision of practical design recommendations and case studies.
This research studied hydrogen damage susceptibility (e.g., cracking and pitting) of steel pipe due to the effect on magnetism in combination with cathodic protection. This recent phase (Phase III) of research built on findings made during Phase I that ended in December 2005 (TAP Study 487) and Phase II that ended in February 2007 (TAP Study 522).
The objective of this proposal is to join with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Center for Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Research (COOGER) in planning an experimental oil spill in pack ice offshore Eastern Canadian in 2007/2008.
A number of cold region offshore developments have been carried out or are planned worldwide, including Sakhalin Island (Russia), Kashagan (Caspian), Shtokman (Barents Sea) as well as in the Beaufort Sea (Northstar, PanArctic Drake). An understanding of these analogue projects, as well as those already operational or planned for the United States (e.g., Northstar and Oooguruk), will provide insight and guidance into potential exploration and development technologies that might be applied to cold regions of the Outer Continental Shelf.
The objective of this study was to provide design options for Pipelines with regard to Arctic hazards such as strudel scour, upheaval buckling, and ice gouging in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Design options included evaluation of PL configuration, material selection, design parameters, operating conditions, application of strain-based and limit state design methods. Design issues included construction, operations, integrity management, maintenance and intervention.
The technical effort will focus on discovering and validating by proof-of-concept testing a reliable cost-effective method or methods and equipment to significantly reduce lateral noise in the marine environment from seismic activities and operations. This research project was conducted in two parts.
Part 1 of this project contained six tasks:
The objective was to study factors affecting soil and pipeline deformation below scouring ice ridges in the Arctic environment. The study provided:
detailed characterization of moving ice-ridge morphology on the basis of available observations and measurement reports,
response simulations of ice-ridge-soil-pipeline systems by means of computational-fluid-dynamics representations and finite-element models that capture flow and deformation in porous media, and
The objective of this research project is to develop methods for quantifying the occurrence and severity of sea spray icing on oil exploration and drill rigs in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The goal is to provide algorithms for processing weather data to determine sea spray icing severity on offshore structures.
The project deliverables are:
Task 1. Summary of spray icing data sets
Task 2. Interim report on calculations using Cook Inlet weather data
Task 3. Interim report on spray icing events
The objective of this research project is to assess potential methods for improving safety on drilling and production vessels and platforms operating in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas and experiencing superstructure icing. The goals are: To identify ice protection technologies currently in use on marine structures, evaluate their effectiveness for enhancing operational safety and define critical superstructure icing needs.
The objective of this continued research is to further validate that an IICP insulation system incorporating a low thermal conductivity, high strength wire screen mesh between a pipe and an interior liner can be an effective passive thermal insulation solution for deepwater flow lines and risers. Phase II will confirm the low thermal conductance values measured with coupons in Phase I are also attainable for pipes and demonstrate IICP performance under steady and transient flow conditions. Results will be used to interest industry and contractors in this technology.
