Application of an Alternative Concept in Dynamic Positioning to a Tanker Floating Production System
Conference/JournalOffshore Technology Conference (OTC), Houston, Texas, USA
Date1 mei 1987
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.4043/5444-MS
This paper describes the development of a cost-effective floating production system, comprising a conventional tanker fitted with a dynamic positioning (DP) system to maintain the riser connection to the well head.
Reduced costs in the DP system are achieved by using a control strategy based on thrusters at the forward end of the vessel thus allowing the vessel to rotate freely, i.e. weathervane, to the environment. A description of the principles of this control strategy is given.
Application of this DP system to a conventional tanker is briefly outlined. Special attention was required in the location of the thrusters in the forward cargo tank and a description is given of the numerical studies and model tests used to optimise thruster location.In order to gain insight into vessel behaviour under such a DP system, simulation studies were carried out and the results correlated with model tests in a wind, wave and current environment. These results indicated the need for a thruster at the aft end of the vessel under certain environmental conditions.
The paper concludes with an economic assessment of the operational costs of such a DP system, which together with reduced thruster and power plant costs presents an attractive solution to production from marginal fields.
This paper is copyrighted material and cannot be shared. Due to copyright policy MARIN is not allowed to reproduce and distribute papers written for and presented at the OTC (Offshore Technology Conference), ISOPE (International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference) and SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers). You can order these papers through
www.OnePetro.org.
For this specific paper see: www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/OTC-5444-MS.
Reduced costs in the DP system are achieved by using a control strategy based on thrusters at the forward end of the vessel thus allowing the vessel to rotate freely, i.e. weathervane, to the environment. A description of the principles of this control strategy is given.
Application of this DP system to a conventional tanker is briefly outlined. Special attention was required in the location of the thrusters in the forward cargo tank and a description is given of the numerical studies and model tests used to optimise thruster location.In order to gain insight into vessel behaviour under such a DP system, simulation studies were carried out and the results correlated with model tests in a wind, wave and current environment. These results indicated the need for a thruster at the aft end of the vessel under certain environmental conditions.
The paper concludes with an economic assessment of the operational costs of such a DP system, which together with reduced thruster and power plant costs presents an attractive solution to production from marginal fields.
This paper is copyrighted material and cannot be shared. Due to copyright policy MARIN is not allowed to reproduce and distribute papers written for and presented at the OTC (Offshore Technology Conference), ISOPE (International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference) and SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers). You can order these papers through
www.OnePetro.org.
For this specific paper see: www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/OTC-5444-MS.
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manoeuvring and nautical studiesstability, seakeeping and ocean engineeringwaves, impacts and hydrostructuralcfd developmentcfd/simulation/desk studiesmeasurements and controldata sciencetime-domain simulationsdynamic positioningrenewablesoil and gasinfrastructuremarine systemslife at seatransport and shippingmodel testingmooring and offloadingmotionssimulationswaves & motionsoffshore engineering