2H Offshore, a riser and conductor specialist in subsea services group Acteon, has completed the first phase of the STREAM (STeel Riser Enhanced Analytics using Measurements) joint industry project (JIP) and has expanded the work into a second phase.
The JIP’s participants include Anadarko, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell.
In this collaborative effort, field data from four deepwater steel catenary risers (SCR) and one lazy-wave riser were used to provide a measurement-based foundation for riser modelling.
According to 2H, the data analysis revealed a wealth of information on riser-wave-induced, vortex-induced (VIV) and heave-induced vibration response. The JIP determined that industry-standard analysis methods for wave and VIV fatigue are often conservative and thus lead to increased costs and prolonged schedules. The JIP quantified the level of conservatism and determined a realistic set of parameters that match the measured data better.
These findings provide significant value to upcoming projects’ design and life extension assessments through improved efficiency in riser design and analytical predictions, the company said.
Ilkay Darilmaz , a Shell research engineer, said, “Through the STREAM JIP, structural monitoring data from a range of risers has helped us to identify common opportunities for improved fatigue life predictions. This will enable us to implement safer and more efficient SCR and lazy-wave designs going forward.”
The STREAM JIP is one of several digital data-based initiatives being run by Acteon companies to help clients lower the total cost of ownership of critical and dynamic subsea assets through efficient design, life extension, reduced risk of failure and optimized intervention.
Phase two of the STREAM JIP will start in 2019 with additional datasets for validating the phase one findings further. Heave-induced vibration observed in field measurements will be isolated and analyzed to help understand this phenomenon better. Lazy-wave buoyancy hydrodynamics, SCR seabed interaction and extreme storm response are other key areas of focus for phase two.
2H has invited interested industry partners to join the JIP and lead the effort for data-driven SCR design.