Structure-Assisted Jackup System for Sea Ice Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current jackup systems for offshore drilling are limited by their operability in ice-free seasons and require permanent, costly structures to withstand sea ice, making them inefficient for exploration drilling in areas with marginal development costs.
Innovation Solution
A structure-assisted jackup system with movable support base structures and legs that can be easily assembled and disassembled, using caisson support bases and movable supports to minimize ice impact, allowing for drilling in sea ice conditions and easy removal for reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large dedicated drilling platform designed to resist ice loads is used, then the system can operate in sea ice conditions all year round, but the structure becomes permanent and cannot be easily removed for reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate components: a permanent ice-resistant support base structure and a movable Jackup drilling unit. This segmentation allows the ice-resistant function to be permanent while the drilling unit remains movable and reusable at different locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice-resistant support base structure acts as an intermediary that provides ice load resistance, allowing the Jackup drilling unit to operate in ice conditions without requiring the entire system to be permanent. The intermediary structure handles the ice resistance function while the main drilling unit remains adaptable and movable.
2Reliability
If a large dedicated drilling platform is used to resist ice loads, then the system can drill in sea ice conditions, but the cost of development becomes prohibitive for marginal locations
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the system into a permanent ice-resistant base and a movable drilling unit, the expensive ice-resistant infrastructure is shared across multiple drilling operations at different locations, reducing the cost per well for marginal locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The ice-resistant support base structure serves multiple drilling locations and operations, making it a universal infrastructure that amortizes its development cost across multiple projects, reducing the prohibitive cost for any single marginal location.
3Ease of manufacture
If drilling exploration wells is limited to ice free season, then the riser remains unprotected and costs are reduced, but the operability range is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The ice-resistant support base structure is installed beforehand to provide protection during ice conditions, enabling drilling operations to proceed in winter months when they would otherwise be impossible, thus expanding the operability range without proportionally increasing costs.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a structure-assisted Jackup system comprising a Jackup drilling unit with a main deck structure and a plurality of legs movably coupled with the main deck structure, one or more support base structures disposed on seabed, and a plurality of movable supports, wherein each of the plurality of movable supports is securely coupled with either the main deck structure or one or more support base structure. The present invention also provides a process for assembling the structure-assisted Jackup system.