Floating Platform Centralizers for Offshore Riser Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Offshore drilling operations face challenges in harsh sea environments where 'work over the side' is required, often necessitating rescue boat deployment, which can be hindered by severe conditions, leading to lost drilling time and increased expenses.
Innovation Solution
A floating platform system with a split base and centralizers that can be securely locked around a riser string, combined with a fixed platform, allowing workers to perform tasks within an enclosed environment, eliminating the need for rescue boat deployment by ensuring workers are always within barriers or handrails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rescue boat is deployed in harsh sea conditions to perform work over the side, then worker safety is improved, but operational continuity deteriorates due to loss of drilling time and increased expenses when severe conditions prevent deployment
Solution Approach 1:
An enclosed platform structure serves as an intermediary between the drilling rig and the sea environment. This platform provides a protected workspace with barriers and handrails that eliminate the need for rescue boat deployment while maintaining worker safety during work over the side operations, thereby ensuring operational continuity even in harsh sea conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The platform is divided into multiple functional zones including a moon pool area for riser access, work areas with enclosed barriers, and designated safety zones. This segmentation allows specific tasks to be performed in protected environments while maintaining overall operational efficiency and eliminating the need for external rescue operations
2Adaptability or versatility
If workers perform work over the side in open areas of the drilling rig, then operational flexibility is improved, but safety deteriorates requiring rescue boat deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The platform incorporates movable components including movable barriers that can be repositioned to create enclosed workspaces dynamically. This allows the platform to adapt to different work requirements while maintaining safety enclosures, providing both operational flexibility and worker protection without requiring external rescue operations
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 1E~1F
AI summary
Techniques and methods to reduce downtime in an offshore platform (100), such as an offshore semi-submersible drilling rig (310) or drillship. Through the use of one or more movable platforms (322, 324) in a moon pool area, work on a riser string (5) passing through the moon pool area may be performed without exposing workers directly to the open sea below. Accordingly, the use of the one or more movable platforms (322, 324) in the moon pool area may provide protected access to the riser string (5) during, for example, harsh weather conditions.