Offshore staff
HOUSTON– 2H Offshore has launched a measurement-based wellhead fatigue joint industry project to improve accuracy and drive more efficient drilling operations.
The company will work with operators to improve riser, wellhead, and conductor fatigue estimates and make drilling operations more reliable and efficient. The project aims to provide a measurement-based foundation fordrilling riser system modeling to ensure that riser, wellhead, and conductor fatigue damage can be more accurately assessed.
Field data from 18 operators and drilling contractors in nine regions worldwide and water depths ranging from 200 m to 1,700 m (656 ft to 5,577 ft) has been gathered. 2H will apply its analytics methodology to reduce conservatism, or otherwise, in riser and wellhead wave and VIV fatigue loading predictions using field data. The findings will improve the accuracy of future wellhead fatigue assessments and eliminate unnecessary upgrades to improve predicted fatigue and provide industry consensus on design methodology.
Bulent Mercan, 2H Offshore Project Manager, said: “Riser, wellhead, and conductor fatigue life is one of the most important aspects of drilling system integrity assurance. However, analytical parameters related to riser and BOP hydrodynamics, vortex induced vibrations (VIV) and conductor-soil interaction are still not fully understood.
“To obtain acceptable fatigue life, subsea engineers are having to take costly measures such as the installation of strakes around the riser joints, improvements of fatigue details at welds and connectors, vessel upgrades and more. A reliable set of analytical parameters leveraging diverse field measurements will lead to improved accuracy and more efficient drilling operations. Industry collaboration through sharing resources will play an important role to achieve this goal.”
Currently, eight major oil and gas operators have joined the JIP. 2H invites any other interested industry partners to join the JIP.
06/13/2018
