Strategies of Chinese Offshore Oil Engineering Companies to Go Global

Alang with big drop of oil prices, offshore oil engineering market demand is witnessing profound changes. This brings rare opportunities while huge challenges for Chinese offshore oil engineering enterprises. Chinese offshore oil engineering enterprises have made rapid development in recent years, but they still have a certain gap with European and American competitors. Only by answering the time＇s call for developmentof international market and having the courage to participate in international competition could Chinese offshore oil engineering enterprises gnaw strong unceasingly.

Moment Redistribution Effect of the Continuous Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Concrete Composite Slabs Based on Static Loading Experiment

This study aimed to investigate the moment redistribution in continuous glass fiber reinforced polymer(GFRP)-concrete composite slabs caused by concrete cracking and steel bar yielding in the negative bending moment zone.An experimental bending moment redistribution test was conducted on continuous GFRP-concrete composite slabs,and a calculation method based on the conjugate beam method was proposed.The composite slabs were formed by combining GFRP profiles with a concrete layer and supported on steel beams to create two-span continuous composite slab specimens.Two methods,epoxy resin bonding,and stud connection,were used to connect the composite slabs with the steel beams.The experimental findings showed that the specimen connected with epoxy resin exhibited two moments redistribution phenomena during the loading process:concrete cracking and steel bar yielding at the internal support.In contrast,the composite slab connected with steel beams by studs exhibited only one-moment redistribution phenomenon throughout the loading process.As the concrete at the internal support cracked,the bending moment decreased in the internal support section and increased in the midspan section.When the steel bars yielded,the bending moment further decreased in the internal support section and increased in the mid-span section.Since GFRP profiles do not experience cracking,there was no significant decrease in the bending moment of the mid-span section.All test specimens experienced compressive failure of concrete at the mid-span section.Calculation results showed good agreement between the calculated and experimental values of bending moments in the mid-span section and internal support section.The proposed model can effectively predict the moment redistribution behavior of continuous GFRP-concrete composite slabs.

A Damage Control Model for Reinforced Concrete Pier Columns Based on Pre-Damage Tests under Cyclic Reverse Loading

To mitigate the challenges in managing the damage level of reinforced concrete(RC)pier columns subjected to cyclic reverse loading,this study conducted a series of cyclic reverse tests on RC pier columns.By analyzing the outcomes of destructive testing on various specimens and fine-tuning the results with the aid of the IMK(Ibarra Medina Krawinkler)recovery model,the energy dissipation capacity coefficient of the pier columns were able to be determined.Furthermore,utilizing the calibrated damage model parameters,the damage index for each specimen were calculated.Based on the obtained damage levels,three distinct pre-damage conditions were designed for the pier columns:minor damage,moderate damage,and severe damage.The study then predicted the variations in hysteresis curves and damage indices under cyclic loading conditions.The experimental findings reveal that the displacement at the top of the pier columns can serve as a reliable indicator for controlling the damage level of pier columns post-loading.Moreover,the calibrated damage index model exhibits proficiency in accurately predicting the damage level of RC pier columns under cyclic loading.

Study on the Fluid-Solid Coupling Seepage of the Deep Tight Reservoir Based on 3D Digital Core Modeling

Deep tight reservoirs exhibit complex stress and seepage fields due to varying pore structures,thus the seepage characteristics are significant for enhancing oil production.This study conducted triaxial compression and permeability tests to investigate the mechanical and seepage properties of tight sandstone.A digital core of tight sandstone was built using Computed Tomography(CT)scanning,which was divided into matrix and pore phases by a pore equivalent diameter threshold.A fluid-solid coupling model was established to investigate the seepage characteristics at micro-scale.The results showed that increasing the confining pressure decreased porosity,permeability,and flow velocity,with the pore phase becoming the dominant seepage channel.Cracks and large pores closed first under increasing pressure,resulted in a steep drop in permeability.However,permeability slightly decreased under high confining pressure,which followed a first-order exponential function.Flow velocity increased with seepage pressure.And the damage mainly occurred in stress-concentration regions under low seepage pressure.Seepage behavior followed linear Darcy flow,the damage emerged at seepage entrances under high pressure,which decreased rock elastic modulus and significantly increased permeability.

Design Code Calibration of Offshore Platform Against Typhoon/Hurricane Attacks

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita resulted in the largest number of platforms destroyed and damaged in the history of Gulf of Mexico operations. With the trend of global warming, sea level rising and the frequency and intensity of typhoon increase. How to determine a reasonable deck elevation against the largest hurricane waves has become a key issue in offshore platforms design and construction for the unification of economy and safety. In this paper, the multivariate compound extreme value distribution （MCEVD） model is used to predict the deck elevation with different combination of tide, surge height, and crest height. Compared with practice recommended by American Petroleum Institute （API）, the prediction by MCEVD has probabilistic meaning and universality.

Application of computational fluid dynamics simulation for submarine oil spill

Computational fluid dynamics （CFD） codes are being increasingly used in the simulation of submarine oil spills. This study focuses on the process of oil spills, from damaged submarine pipes, to the sea surface, using numerical models. The underwater oil spill model is developed, and a description of the governing equations is proposed, along with modifications required for the particalization of the control volume. Available experimental data were introduced to evaluate the validity of the CFD predictions, the results of which proved to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The effects of oil leak rate, leak diameter, current velocity, and oil density are investigated, by the validated CFD model, to estimate the undersea leakage time, the lateral migration distance, and surface diffusion range when the oil reaches the sea surface. Results indicate that the leakage time and lateral migration distance increase with decreasing leak rates and leak diameter, and increase with increasing current velocity and oil density. On the other hand, a large leak diameter, high density, high leak rate, or fast currents result in a greater surface diffusion range. The findings and analysis presented here will provide practical predictions of oil spills, and guidance for emergency rescues.

Parametric effect of large impulse current excited coil on electromagnetic force in coil-sheet system

Based on the method of controlling welding stress with trailing, the electromagnetic force in coil-sheet system was simulated with finite element software ANSYS. The effect of parameters of coil on the electromagnetic force density fy was analyzed. The results show that the maximum electromagnetic force density fy, max in sheet appears in the position near the inner radius of single-turn coil. The position is independent of section shape of coil. fy, max for flat coil is larger than that for long coil and the coil with wedge shape section, while section areas of all coils are equal to each other. The effect of turn number of multiple-turn coil on fy is dependent on the loop resistance in circuit. The kind of coil with more turns and larger inductance is commended while there is larger loop resistance in circuit. fy increases in a certain magnitude while a magnetic core is located in coil. However, the magnitude of fy is limited by saturating magnetic flux of the core.

Dynamic Coupling Analysis of Semisubmersible Platform Float-over Method for Docking Case

In this paper,the multi-body coupled dynamic characteristics of a semisubmersible platform and an HYSY 229 barge were investigated.First,coupled hydrodynamic analysis of the HYSY 229 barge and the semisubmersible platform was performed.Relevant hydrodynamic parameters were obtained using the retardation function method of three-dimensional frequency-domain potential flow theory.The results of the hydrodynamic analysis were highly consistent with the test findings,verifying the accuracy of the multifloating hydrodynamic coupling analysis,and key hydrodynamic parameters were solved for different water depths and the coupling effect.According to the obtained results,the hydrodynamic influence was the largest in shallow waters when the coupling effect was considered.Furthermore,the coupled motion equation combined with viscous damping,fender system,and mooring system was established,and the hydrodynamics,floating body motion,and dynamic response of the fender system were analyzed.Motion analysis revealed good agreement among the surge,sway,and yaw motions of the two floating bodies.However,when the wave period reached 10 s,the motion of the two floating bodies showed severe shock,and a relative motion was also observed.Therefore,excessive constraints should be added between the two floating bodies during construction to ensure construction safety.The numerical analysis and model test results of the semisubmersible platform and HYSY 229 barge at a water depth of 42 m and sea conditions of 0°,45°,and 90° were in good agreement,and the error was less than 5%.The maximum movement of the HYSY 229 barge reached 2.61 m in the sway direction,whereas that of the semisubmersible platform was 2.11 m.During construction,excessive constraints should be added between the two floating bodies to limit their relative movement and ensure construction safety.

Configuration Analysis of Deepwater S-Lay Pipeline

The safety of offshore pipeline has drawn a great deal of attention during deepwater installation due to the combined actions of high external pressure, axial tension, and bending moment. Meanwhile, the pipeline configuration has a remarkable effect on the structural behaviour of the tube. The special studies focus on the deepwater S-lay technique in the present paper. The stiffened catenary theory is applied to establish the static equilibrium governing differential equation of a pipe element, and the solution equations of the total pipeline configuration from a lay-barge over a stinger to the seabed are derived, The numerical iteration method for solving pipeline configuration is described in detail, and the corresponding program is developed to conduct the analysis of effects of various parameters such as laying water depth, pipe diameter, thickness of concrete weighted coating layer, stinger length, control strain, and axial tension on pipeline configuration. The results show that the laying water depth, the submerged weight of the pipe, and the axial tension are the critical factors influencing pipeline configuration. In addition, geometrical parameters of the stinger such as length, radius, and shape have an important effect on the pipe-laying capacity of the vessel. The validity of the program is further verified by means of a comparison with results obtained from the commercial finite element software OFFPIPE.

Fuzzy Fatigue Reliability Analysis of Offshore Platforms in Ice-Infested Waters

The calculation of fatigue stress ranges due to random waves and ice loads on offshore structures is discussed, and the corresponding accumulative fatigue damages of the structural members are evaluated. To evaluate the fatigue damage to the structures more accurately, the Miner rule is modified considering the fuzziness of the concerned parameters, and a new model for fuzzy fatigue reliability analysis of offshore structures members is developed. Furthermore, an assessment method for predicting the dynamics of the fuzzy fatigue reliability of structural members is provided.

Remote Control and Telemetry System for Large-scale Model Test at Sea

Physical testing of large-scale ship models at sea is a new experimental method.It is a cheap and reliable way to research the environment adaptability of a ship in complex and extreme wave conditions.It is necessary to have a stable experimental system for the test.Since the experimental area is large, a remote control system and a telemetry system are essential, and were designed by the authors.An experiment was conducted on the Songhuajiang River to test the systems.The relationship between the model's speed and its electromotor's revolutions was also measured during the model test.The results showed that the two systems make it possible to carry out large-scale model tests at sea.

Structure Design and Optimization of a New Type of Subsea Pipeline Connector

The basic configuration of a new type of subsea pipeline connector was proposed based on the press-fitting principle, and a parametric finite element model was created using APDL language in ANSYS. Combining the finite element model and optimization technology, the dimension optimization aiming at obtaining the minimum loading force and the optimum sealing performance was designed by the zero order optimization method. Experiments of the optimized connector were carried out. The results indicate that the optimum structural design significantly improved the indicators of the minimum loading force and sealing performance of the connector.

Dynamic Simulation and Tension Compensation Research on Subsea Umbilical Cable Laying System

For studying the dynamic performance of subsea umbilical cable laying system and achieving the goal of cable tension and laying speed control,the rigid finite element method is used to discrete and transform the system into a rigid-flexible coupling multi-body system which consists of rigid elements and spring-damping elements.The mathematical model of subsea umbilical cable laying system kinematic chain is presented with the second order Lagrange equation in the joint coordinate system,and dynamic modeling and simulation is performed with ADAMS.The dynamic analysis is conducted assuming the following three statuses:ideal laying,practical laying under wave disturbance,and practical laying with tension compensation.Results show that motion disturbances of the laying budge under sea waves,especially with heaving and pitching,will cause relatively serious fluctuations in cable tension and laying speed.Tension compensation,i.e.,active back tension torque control can restrict continuous tension increasing or decreasing effectively and rapidly,thus avoiding cable breach or buckling.

Laboratory investigation into the oil diffusion from submarine pipeline under water flow

A physical model test has been conducted to study the oil diffusion from the submarine pipeline under water flow.The crude oil in the flume is spilled from a leakage point of the pipeline and diffused from the seabed to the surface. By the non-contact optical measuring technology, an image acquisition and data analysis system is designed to explore the spilled mechanism and characteristic. The oil trajectory, velocity and the rising time to the surface are obtained through this system. The influence of the water flow and the spilled discharge on the behavior of the spilled oil are analyzed from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The sensitivity study of the characteristic physical quantities to various factors are presented afterward. The spilled oil under water is mainly distributed in the form of the scattered particles with different sizes. The rising process of the oil can be divided into three stages: full, dispersion and aggregation period. The spilled discharge is the primary factor affecting the rising time of the oil particles. In the rising process of the oil particles, the vertical velocity of the oil is mainly affected by the spilled discharge, and the transverse velocity is more dependent on the water velocity. The deviation of the transverse oil velocity is much larger than that of the rising time and the vertical oil velocity. The study can provide a theoretical reference for the prediction system of oil spill emergency.

Numerical Simulation of Float-Over Installation for Offshore Platform

In this paper,a numerical investigation of a float-over installation for an offshore platform is presented to verify the feasibility of the actual installation.The hydrodynamic performance of a T-barge is investigated in the frequency domain,and the coupled motions are analyzed in the time domain.We then compare with those of the model test and determine that the response amplitude operator and the time series agree quite well.The barge exhibits favorable hydrodynamic behavior in the considered sea state,and the equipment loads are allowable.Themooring systemand sway fender forces are within the permissible range.Based on these results,we can verify that the actual installation of the offshore platform is feasible.We accurately simulated many important factors and effectively reduced the risk associated with the offshore installation,which is of great importance.As such,we demonstrate that the numerical simulation of the float-over installation for offshore platforms has practical engineering significance.

Umbilical Cable Recovery Load Analysis

Umbilical cable is a kind of integrated subsea cable widely used in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas field. The severe ocean environment makes great challenges to umbilical maintenance and repair work. Damaged umbilical is usually recovered for the regular operation of the offshore production system. Analysis on cables in essence is a two-point boundary problem. The tension load at the mudline must be known first, and then the recovery load and recovery angle on the vessel can be solved by use of catenary equation. The recovery analysis also involves umbilical- soil interaction and becomes more complicated. Calculation methods for recovery load of the exposed and buried umbilical are established and the relationship between the position of touch down point and the recovery load as well as the recovery angle and recovery load are analyzed. The analysis results provide a theoretical reference for offshore on-deck operation.

Model Tests Research on A Float-Over Barge in Shallow Water Under the Undocking Conditions

In this study,the Jinzhou 9-3 CEPD float-over installation project was investigated.During the undocking condition,the water depth of the motion path of the working barge gradually changed from 10.31 m to 9.41 m.The undocking clearance of the HYSY 228 is smaller than 1 m;therefore,the barge shows highly nonlinear hydrodynamic characteristics,and it is difficult to be accurately simulated by numerical analysis.Thus,it is necessary to obtain the hydrodynamic characteristics and laws of the float-over barge at different water depths by using tank model test,to provide some reference and guidance for float-over operations in shallow water.

Thermal-Fluid-Structure Coupling Analysis of Flexible Corrugated Cryogenic Hose

This work presents a numerical investigation of the thermal–fluid–structure coupling behavior of the liquid natural gas(LNG)transported in the flexible corrugated cryogenic hose.A three-dimensional model of the corrugated hose structure composed of multiple layers of different materials is established and coupled with turbulent LNG flow and heat transfer models in the commercial software ANSYS Workbench.The flow transport behavior,heat transfer across the hose layers,and structural response caused by the flow are analyzed.Parametric studies are performed to evaluate the impacts of inlet flow rate and thermal conductivity of insulation material on the temperature and structural stress of the corrugated hose.The study found that,compared with a regular operating condition,higher inlet flow velocities not only suppress the heat gain of the LNG but also lower the flow-induced structural stress.The insulation layer exhibits excellent performance in maintaining the temperature at the fluid–structure interface,showing little temperature change with respect to material thermal conductivity and ambient temperature.The simulation results may contribute to the research and design of the flexible corrugated cryogenic hoses and provide guidance for safer and more efficient field operations.

Synthesis of ZnS from organic sulfur in petroleum coke and its photocatalysis properties

Organic sulfur in high sulfur petroleum coke was treated as the S source for synthesis of ZnS photocatalyst. Experimental results showed that with ball milling and subsequent heating treatment, ZnS compound could be successfully synthesized and showed considerable photocatalysis activity for decomposing industrial pollutants. The concentration of methyl orange or ethylene blue may be lowered to less than 5% after being decomposed by the synthesized-ZnS photocatalysis. Results of this study suggested a potential technique of turning high sulfur petroleum cokes from industrial wastes into useful products for environment improvement.

Study on Basic Hydrologic and Meteorological Parameters in the Ice-covered Bohai Sea

Based on the sea ice investigation in Liaodong Bay and observation on Platform JZ20-2 in January, 1997, the basic hydrologic and meteorological parameters in the Bohai Sea are studied. These parameters consist of solar short wave radiation, long wave radiation, wind velocity, air humidity and some thermal properties of the sea ice. The following is obtained: (1) solar short wave radiation is an important factor affecting the energy balance in the Bohai Sea, and the simplified form of Laevastu (1960) formula can be used to calculate it in the Bohai Sea, (2) the air humidity is about 50% above the sea ice surface, and about 90% above seawater surface in winter according to the observations, (3) wind velocity and air temperature is another two important factors affecting energy balance, the stronger the wind is and the lower the temperature is, the more energy of the sea surface loses, (4) the net long wave loss of the sea surface is almost static in winter, (5) in the Bohai Sea, the thermal conductivity and latent heat of seawater condensation can be regarded as constant, but the specific heat is varying within a sizable range.