Structure-Supported 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 and economically unviable for marginal locations with limited drilling activities.
Innovation Solution
A structure-supported jackup system comprising a main deck, movable legs, a cantilever, and derrick, with support base structures on the seabed and movable supports that allow the system to be assembled and disassembled, enabling operation in shallow waters and easy reconfiguration to avoid ice hazards, using caisson structures for enhanced ice resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large dedicated drilling platform or combined drilling and production platform is used to resist ice loads all year round, then the system can operate in sea ice environments, 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. The support base structures remain on the seabed to withstand ice loads, while the drilling unit can be moved and repositioned as needed, resolving the contradiction between permanent ice resistance and removability.
Solution Approach 2:
Movable supports act as intermediaries between the permanent support base structures and the Jackup drilling unit. These movable supports transfer loads while allowing the drilling unit to be repositioned, enabling both ice load resistance and operational flexibility.
2Reliability
If a large dedicated drilling platform is used to resist ice loads, then the system can operate in sea ice environments, but the cost becomes prohibitive for marginal locations with limited drilling activities
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the system into permanent support bases and movable drilling units, the expensive ice-resistant features are concentrated only where needed (at the support bases), rather than requiring the entire platform to be permanently ice-resistant. This reduces overall cost while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable Jackup drilling unit can be used across multiple locations and projects, effectively serving as a reusable asset rather than a permanent installation at each site. This reduces the cost per well for marginal locations.
3Productivity
If a normal Jackup system is used during ice free season, then the system can be operated, but the riser remains unprotected from ice hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The support base structures serve as intermediary elements that provide a stable, protected platform for the drilling operations. By anchoring the system to these ice-resistant bases rather than relying solely on the Jackup legs, the riser and other critical components are protected from direct ice contact while maintaining operational flexibility during ice-free periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A structure-supported Jackup system comprising a Jackup drilling unit with a main deck structure and a plurality of legs movably coupled with the main deck structure, two 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 of the two or more support base structure.