QUESTIONS CHAPTER 14

1. Under what conditions is a jacket suitable?

The jacket is suitable for conditions mention as follows :
-

Shallow water (< 300 m)

The needs for conventional technology

The needs of platform wells

The Needs of rigid risers

Comprehensive marine operations

No need of oil storage

Harsh environment

Onshore topside and jacket construction, no need of deep water near the shore

2. Under what conditions is a fixed concrete platform suitable?

-

Shallow water (< 200 m)

The needs of conventional technology

The needs of platform wells

The Needs of rigid risers

Deepwater construction site and transportation route

Comprehensive marine operations

Harsh environment

Long life production of the field

Oil storage needs

Low maintenance

3. Under what conditions is a jack up platform suitable?

-

Shallow water (< 120 m and 170 m)

Small field where the construction of jacket platform are considered too expensive
and economically not profitable

Benign environment

The needs of platform wells

Simple marine operations, self-installing platform

No need of oil storage

4. Under what condition is a compliant tower suitable?

-

Very deep water ( up to 800 m)

Benign environment

The needs of platform well

The Needs of rigid risers

Very comprehensive marine operations

No need of oil storage

Onshore topside and jacket construction, no need of deep water near the shore

5. What is meant by batter in relation to a jacket?

Batter is the angle from vertical of the legs and piles of most jackets. This provides for
larger base dimensions and improved structural stability.
6. What is the alternative to piling of a jacket?
An alternative to pilling is inverted bucket with 12 meters in diameter and 6 meters deep
which penetrate the sea bed under the weight of the jacket, the jacket legs being filled
with water ballast during installation to assist the penetration process. Suction provides
further penetration prior to the addition of 2200 tones of permanent grout ballast which
was poured into the top of the buckets.

7. What are the most important parameters that determine the natural period of a
jacket?
k=F/d
d = Fh3/3EI
k = 3EI/h3
To = 2(mh3/3EI)0,5
I = a2A = a2At/4, a ~ 0,2h
To = 2(mh/0,03EAt)0,5
Where :h height of jacket

E modulus of elasticity
I moment of inertia
A cross sectional area of leg
At total cross sectional area
a distance between legs (average)
m mass of deck
To natural period
From the formula above we can conclude that the most important parameters of
natural period of the jacket are :
-

Mass of deck

Height of jacket

Jacket leg form and material which is used to calculate cross sectional area and
modulus of elasticity

8. What are the most important marine operations involved in a jacket project?
The most important marine operations involved in a jacket project are :
-

Transportation of jacket substructure to the installation site

Lifting jacket to the sea bed

Piling and grouting

Installation of conductor, riser and j-tube

Installation of topside

Those operations are depends on the type and concept of construction and installation of
jacket platform. Some of the installations of topside are done by float-over and some of
the jacket utilization are done by self floating.

9. Why have fixed concept concrete platform been so popular in Norway?

Fixed concrete platform been so popular in Norway are because :
-

Most of the giant field in Norway is in shallow water where concrete platform can
reach the depth

Concrete platform have robust long life structure and durability in the marine
environment where it is needed by the Norwegian giant field which is estimated to
produce oil and gas up to 70 years.

It is very rare in Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) to have earthquake and concrete
platform is suitable

Most of the construction, installation and mating from leg and caisson (substructure)
until topside is conducted in the water (deep water) and Norway have many deep
water sites to construct it.

Inspection and maintenance cost has been low, and repair works have been done
only in a few cases to full satisfaction

It has protected (rigid) risers, conductor and j-tubes

Comprehensive marine operations where it doesnt have to be hooked in

modularized which need many marine operations and expensive cost.

Integrated topside is done onshore

It has oil storage capacity

10. What is air-gap and why is it so important?

Air gap is the clearance or distance between surface of the water (wave crest) and
platform deck. This clearance is intended to avoid the maximum wave crest where
platforms are normally not designed to resist wave slamming against deck structures.