Upstream Engineering Centre

Design Requirements for Moorings in Standards ISO 19901-7 & API RP 2SK/SM
Philip Smedley, BP Twickenham Stadium, London

Stationkeeping Standards - Summary

1. Historic (e.g. API RP 2FP1) 2. API 2SK Stationkeeping & 2SM Synthetic Fibre rope 3. ISO 19901-7 Stationkeeping design including fibre rope, plus fibre rope specifications 18692 (Polyester) & 17920 (HMPE) 4. Class Rules:
1. DNV OS E301 E304 POSMOOR Design and Component requirements 2. BV NI 493 (Design) & NI 432 (Fibre) 3. LR Rules for Floating Offshore Installations & MODU 4. ABS Rules Offshore Installations & MODUs + Guidance Note Fibre rope

5. IMO / IMCA Thruster Dynamic Positioning systems 6. Requirements for mooring to vessel interface (i.e. structure and equipment, winches, hawsers, etc). 7. Differentiation of Mobile & Permanent mooring systems
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Summary of limit states

Ultimate Limit State ULS Intact system: Line & Pile strength Intact system: Vessel maximum offset (defined in riser design) Damaged system: Line and Pile strength Damaged system: Vessel maximum offset (defined in riser design) Fatigue limit state - FLS: Intact system Accidental Limit State ALS (ONLY disconnectable systems) Serviceability Limit State - SLS

Reliability of Offshore Structures - Stationkeeping

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Ultimate Limit State - Intact

Failure criteria = Min. Ultimate Strength not Min. Yield Strength Criteria. Failure criticality = Vessel excursion envelope exceeded risers damaged Factors of Safety ULS (1.0 on offset) Intact system:
Dynamic API & ISO Norway CC3 (very close & risers) Norway CC2 (risers connected) Norway CC1 (disconnect risers) 1.67 (P&M) 2.20 (P&M) 2.00 (P&M) 1.50 (P) 1.67 (M) Quasi-Static 2.00 (M) 2.50 (M) 2.30 (M) 2.00 (M)

P = Permanent mooring (100 ys storm) M = Mobile mooring ( 5 yr storm or Norway 10 yr storm)

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Ultimate Limit State Damaged (Abnormal?)

Factors of Safety ULS (nothing on offset) Damaged system:
Dynamic API & ISO (-1) Norway CC3 (-1 or -2) (very close & risers) Norway CC2 (-1 or -2) (risers connected) Norway CC1 (-1 only) (disconnect risers) 1.25 (P&M) 1.50 (P&M) 1.35 (P&M) 1.20 (P) / 1.25 (M) Quasi-Static 1.43 (P&M) 1.80 (M) 1.65 (M) 1.43 (M)

P = Permanent mooring (100 ys storm) & M = Mobile mooring ( 5 yr storm or Norway 10 yr storm)

Reliability of Offshore Structures - Stationkeeping

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Ultimate Limit State

Combined thruster and line loss?

Piles more consistency between Standards:

Reliability of Offshore Structures - Stationkeeping

04 Dec 2012

Ultimate Limit State

Background Reliability API (ISO) RP 2SK Appendix G = Deepstar CTR 4404 (1997) Deepmoor (late 1990s) Strength and Fatigue Normoor (Ongoing) Intact strength Same factors for chain studlink, chain studless, wire rope (w/out sheathing), fibre rope (polyester, aramid, HMPE). Areas for possible review: Damaged = ULS or Abnormal or Temporary limit state? Combined redundancy thruster out of action and line loss? Disconnectable systems (currently risk assess) DP only systems. FPSO vs Semi/Spar vs buoy vs riser tower?
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Fatigue Limit State

Tension (TT) fatigue: Factors of Safety API TN (load) curve vs DNV SN (stress) curve
API FoS on design curve = 3.0 DNV FoS on design curve = 5.0 to 8.0 (spread lines to bundled lines). Scale effect or not?

Different curves for studlink chain, studless chain, six / multi-strand wire rope, and spiral strand wire rope. Limited data fibre rope (primarily polyester) shows it to be >> equivalent wire rope. Bending (BT) fatigue: Around fairlead BT fatigue < 20% of TT fatigue, move chain periodically. Bending at fixed stopper need OPB (&IPB) calculation by expert contractor.

Reliability of Offshore Structures - Stationkeeping

04 Dec 2012

Fatigue Limit State Tension fatigue

Background DNV Deepmoor & ExxonMobil study for API Work Group.
DNV: Based on 2,200 links: P(any 1 link < 10-3), P(two lines < 10-5) API: Based on 10,000 links: P(one link = 10-4)

Criticality:
1. Number of links 2. Scatter in data (SN curve) 3. Load bias and uncertainty 4. Other factors

Reliability of Offshore Structures - Stationkeeping

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Fatigue Limit State API TN vs DNV SN Curves

Studless D = 76mm
3.0 2.5 2.0
log(S)

Studless D = 150mm
3.0 2.5 2.0
log(S)

1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 3 4 5

log(N)
API API/3 DNV DNV/8

1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0

5
log(N)
API API/3

DNV DNV/8

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Fatigue Limit State Areas for possible review

Fatigue FoS based on thousands of component links in series What about rope only moorings? What about local effects, e.g. OPB? Almost all chain fatigue tests based on 76mm R3/R4 chain Assurance at 190mm? Assurance of Grade R5? Scale effect or not? Two equally valid methods. What about Reliability of Thrusters? More benefit given for quality of analysis, c.f. strength? Globally, around 4 single line and one multi line failures per year! What about riser towers, failure critical single components? e.g. Chinook GoM Grade R5, D = 190mm failed due to illegal weld repair as fabricator could not achieve quality required within budget/schedule.
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Mooring Reliability - More than just design code

DNV & API: One line (Design Code) Two or more lines (Design Code) Offshore evidence: One line Two or more lines 2.0 x 10-2 2.8 x 10-3 (1 in 50 yrs) (1 in 350 yrs) < 1 x 10-3 < 1 x 10-5

Increased safety factors are pushing design to larger components with higher grade steel (>1000 MPa / 145 ksi) that have problems with manufacture and handling, HISS cracking?.

Risks in Offshore Moorings

11-May-12

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Fatigue safety margin - OPB example

Design life is 219 times lower than best estimate mean life Probably more as further hidden conservative assumptions in OPB design calculation

x2.5 x10.0 x1.5 x6.1

Mean SN curve = 219 x DL

Remove safety factor of 10 = 88 x DL Lower bound to mean bearing friction = 8.8 x DL

Remove 100% bearing contingency factor = 6.1 x DL Free corrosion design life = 1.0 x DL
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