DESIGN METHOD OF LEG STRUCTURE OF JACK-UP RIGS

The structural failures of jack-up rigs were mostly found in leg structures,due to cracks in way of connections between tubular members of leg structures.Although,stress calculations of leg structures can be made by using“finite element techniques”,it takes a lot of time to complete the calculations for the full cases of all working conditions because of many tubular members.Therefore,a simple method for the stress calculations for design purposes is strongly desired.This paper desribes a simple stress calculaiton method of leg structures and shows a satisfactory results as compared with the results obtained by a detailed calculation method.

Comparative Analysis of a Jack-up Drilling Unit with Different Leg Systems

The jack-up unit is one of the best drilling platforms in offshore oil fields with water depth shallower than 150 meters.As the most pivotal component of the jack-up unit,the leg system can directly affect the global performance of a jack-up unit.Investigation shows that there are three kinds of leg structure forms in the world now:the reverse K,X,and mixing types.In order to clarify the advantage and defects of each one,as well as their effect on the global performance of the jack-up unit,this paper commenced to study performance targets ofa deepwater jack-up unit with different leg systems(X type,reverse K type,and mixing type).In this paper a typical leg scantling dimension and identical external loads were selected,detailed finite element snalysis(FEA)models were built to simulate the jack-up unit's structural behavior,and the multi-point constraint(MPC)element together with the spring element was used to deal with the boundary condition.Finally,the above problems were solved by comparative analysis of their main performance targets(including ultimate static strength,dynamic response,and weight).

Application of a Newly Built Semi-submersible Vessel for Transportation of a Tension Leg Platform

Transportation of tension leg platform （TLP） structures for a long distance has always been associated with the use of a heavy semi-transport vessel. The requirements of this type of vessel are always special, and their availability is limited. To prepare for the future development of South China Sea deepwater projects, the China Offshore Oil Engineering Corporation has recently built a heavy lift transport vessel-Hai Yang Shi You 278. This semi-submersible vessel has a displacement capacity of 50k DWT, and a breath of 42 meters. Understanding the vessel＇s applicability and preparing it for use in future deepwater projects are becoming imminent needs. This paper reviews the current critical issues associated with TLP transportation and performs detailed analysis of the designed TLP during load-out and transportation. The newly built COOEC transportation vessel HYSY 278 was applied to dry transport of the TLP structure from the COOEC fabrication yard in Qingdao to an oil field in South China Sea. The entire process included the load-out of the TLP structure from the landsite of the fabrication yard, the offloading and float-on of the platform from the vessel, the dry transport of the TLP over a long distance, and the final offloading of the platform. Both hydrodynamic and structure analysis were performed to evaluate the behavior of the transport vessel and TLP structure. Special attention was paid to critical areas associated with the use of this new vessel, along with any potential limitations. The results demonstrate that HYSY 278 can effectively be used for transporting the structure with proper arrangement and well-prepared operation. The procedure and details were presented on the basis of the study results. Special attention was also given to discussion on future use based on the results from the analysis.