OTC 25297

Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts

for High-Motion Vessels
Brian S. Royer, Thomas L. Power and Daniel O. Ayewah

William Head
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INTRODUCTION
Second half of a two-part study
Overall objective is to ascertain safe riser concept(s)
that enables development of Ultra-Deepwater fields
with High-Motion Vessels
Added challenges of the study in addition to
water depths approaching 10,000 feet
High pressure
High temperature
Sour well product

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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RE-CAP OF FIRST HALF OF STUDY

Problem Framing
Options for High-Motion Vessels
Define Limitations
Riser Concept Definition
Riser Pipe Material
o Wall Thickness Requirement
Riser Geometry
Down-selection of Concepts carried forward to
Dynamic Analysis

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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PROBLEM FRAMING (HIGHLIGHTS)

25-year Design Life
10,000 feet Water Depth
20,000 psi Shut-in Tubing Pressure
350F Maximum Operating Temperature
NACE MR0175 Sour Product
8-inch Production Risers (rigid pipe construction)
100,000 boe/d Production Rate
8 total risers (6 initial + 2 future)
Wet Insulated

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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HIGH-MOTION VESSELS FOR GOM

Conventional Semi-submersible
Ship-shaped FPSO (VLCC-sized)
Turret-moored
o Disconnectable
o Captive (Permanent)
Limitation Riser Payload Capacity
Assumed Capacity Limits
o Semi None
o FPSO with Disconnectable-turret 3000 kips
o FPSO with Captive-turret Sufficiently high

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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DOWN-SELECTED RISER CONCEPTS

Concepts with Distributed Buoyancy Concepts w/ Discrete Buoy
Geometry Simple Compliant
Catenary Lazy Steep Hybrid Tension
Vertical
Riser Wave Wave Riser Leg
Rigid Pipe Material Access
Riser Riser Tower Riser
Riser

Steel*

Titanium

Composite Reinforced Steel* Pipe

Steel* with Lightweight Coating

Steel* with HIPPS

High-Strength Steel

Notes:
Steel* = Carbon Steel Line Pipe (grade X70), ID Clad Carbon Steel Line Pipe (grade X70), or Super Duplex Stainles Steel Pipe

Color Shading Scheme: Riser Concepts for Semi & Captive-Turret FPSO
Riser Concepts for Disconnectable-Turret FPSO

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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LAZY WAVE RISER

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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STEEP WAVE RISER

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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CVAR

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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HYBRID RISER TOWER

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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TENSION LEG RISER

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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RISER STRENGTH CAPACITY

Design Storm Riser Concepts for:

HS TP VW VC FD Semi- Turret-moored FPSO
Event
(feet) (sec)
(ft/sec) (ft/sec) submersible Captive Disconnectable
100-year Loop Current 7.5 7.5 1.0 35 7.5 0.8

100-year Winter Storm 29.0 13.0 2.0 82 2.0 0.8

100-year Hurricane 52.0 15.4 2.4 150 7.0 0.8

1000-year Hurricane 66.0 17.2 2.4 187 8.5 1.0

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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HIGH-MOTION VESSEL
80
Heave
60
SEMI FPSO
40

20
Heave (ft)

-20

-40

-60

-80
100-year Hurricane 1000-year Hurricane 100-year Winter Storm 100-year Loop Current
Associated Wave

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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RISER STRENGTH CAPACITY

Summary of Results
Semi-submersible Captive-Turret FPSO
Event FD Steel* Steel* Steel* Steel*
Catenary Lazy Wave Catenary Lazy Wave
100-year Winter Storm 0.8 PASS PASS FAIL(A) PASS
100-year Loop Current 0.8 PASS PASS PASS PASS
100-year Hurricane 0.8 FAIL(A) PASS FAIL(A) PASS
1000-year Hurricane 1.0 - PASS - PASS

Disconnectable-Turret FPSO
Environment FD Titanium CRP CRP Steel*(B) Steel*(B)(C) Q125 HRT/TLR
Catenary Lazy Wave Steep Wave Steep Wave CVAR CVAR Steel* Jumper
100-year Winter Storm 0.8 FAIL(A) PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
100-year Loop Current 0.8 PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
Notes:
(A) Time Domain Analysis predicted excessive bending during instances of compression occurred in lower riser.
(B) Lightweight Coating in Upper Riser
(C) with Subsea HIPPS

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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RISER STRENGTH CAPACITY

Stress Joint (Titanium)

Highest Utilization of Strength Capacity Occurs at Top of Riser

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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WAVE FATIGUE
Wave Scatter Diagram (represent Central Gulf of Mexico)
32 Fatigue Seastates: Bin 1 HS = 1.6 ft to Bin 32 HS = 52.5 ft
8 Wave Headings with associated Probabilities of Occurrence
Semi-submersible
Assume collinear Wind, Wave, and Current
Turret-Moored Ship-shaped FPSO
Non-collinear Wind, Wave, and Current
o Source: Hindcast database used for 2002 SNAME Paper
Response Based Design Criteria for a Turret-Moored FSO
in Gulf of Mexico
Disconnectable-turret cutoff at Bin > 20 (HS = 32.8 ft)

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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RISER FATIGUE PERFORMANCE

Summary of Results (Target Life = 25 years)
Steel Lazy Wave Riser
Pipe Material S-N Curve Semi- Captive-Turret
submersible FPSO
Carbon Steel BS7608-E/20 MARGINAL FAIL
ID-Clad Carbon Steel BS7608-C PASS PASS
Duplex Stainless Steel BS7608-E PASS PASS
Titanium Stress Joint Ti Forging(A) PASS FAIL

Disconnectable Turret FPSO

Pipe Material S-N Curve Composite Composite Steel(A) HRT/TLR
CVAR
Lazy Wave Steep Wave Steep Wave Steel Jumper
Carbon Steel BS7608-E/20 PASS PASS FAIL PASS
ID-Clad Carbon Steel BS7608-C PASS PASS MARGINAL PASS
FAIL
Duplex Stainless Steel BS7608-E PASS PASS PASS PASS
Titanium Stress Joint Ti Forging(A) PASS PASS PASS PASS
Notes:
(A) see Baxter, 2007. Paper OTC-18624.
(B) Lightweight Coating in Upper Riser

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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COST EVALUATION
Factors considered
Direct Material Cost
Installation Engineering Effort
Construction Vessel(s)
Offshore Installation Duration
Concepts with Distributed Buoyancy Concepts w/ Discrete Buoy
Catenary Lazy Steep Tension Hybrid
Rigid Pipe Material
Riser Wave Wave CVAR Leg Riser
Riser Riser Riser Tower

Carbon Steel Line Pipe 1.0 1.3 2.5 3.0

ID Clad Carbon Steel Line Pipe 1.5 2.2(A)
Super Duplex Stainless Steel Pipe 1.6 2.3(A)
Composite Reinforced Steel Pipe 3.0 2.9
Titanium
Notes:
(A) Lightweight Coating in Upper Riser
Color Shading Scheme: Baseline Riser Concept
Riser Concepts for Conventional Semi-Submersible
Riser Concepts for Disconnectable-Turret FPSO

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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INSTALLATION ASSESSMENT
Concepts that have that have been installed
Lazy Wave Riser
Hybrid Riser Tower
Installation plans for the Tension Leg Risers
Submerged Buoy were developed by Mobil in
late 90s
Least mature is the Steep Wave Riser
Requires additional force to pull riser base to
seafloor
Build on Hybrid Riser Tower installation experiences

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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TECHNOLOGY GAPS
External thermal insulation for dynamic service in high
temperature service (>300F)
Riser base flow path components capable of containing
20,000 psi internal pressure
Turret swivel capable of withstanding internal pressure
approaching 20,000 psi
Use of captive-turret FPSO in Gulf of Mexico
Use of composite-reinforced pipe as a production riser
Proven inhibitor methodology for 20,000 psi / 350F

OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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CONCLUSIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS
Pressure and Temperature design parameters limit risers
to be of rigid pipe construction
Conventional Semi-submersible
Lazy Wave Riser is viable alternative concept to SCR
FPSO with Disconnectable-turret
Requires lighter riser concepts to meet payload limit
Viable alternative riser concepts
o Steel* Steep Wave Riser with lightweight coating
o TLR & HRT (steel pipe jumper)
Comparable costs for the three concepts (> 2SCR)
Technology gaps are not specific to one riser concept or
riser concepts alone
OTC-25297 Assessment of Ultra Deepwater Riser Concepts for High-Motion Vessels B. Royer
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Acknowledgements / Thank You

Funding for the project is provided by Research Partnership to Secure

Energy for America through the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional
Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Resources authorized by the U.S.
Energy Policy Act of 2005
Acknowledge the efforts and support of the RPSEA Project 10121-
4401-02 Working Group, which includes representatives from BP, Shell,
Petrobras, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips
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Questions

Contact Information:
Brian S. Royer
Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
13610 Westland East Blvd.
Houston, TX 77041-1025
(281) 955-2900
brian.royer@stress.com
www.stress.com