Post-Extreme-Event Assessment of SCR Integrity: Strength and Fatigue Effects on the Matterhorn Gas Export SCR From Hurricane Ivan

摘要

The Matterhorn TLP (Tension Leg Platform), operated by Total E&P USA (TEP USA), was installed in 2,850ft water depth in Mississippi Canyon 243 in the Gulf of Mexico in May 2003. The TLP exports gas to shore through a 10-inch steel catenary riser (SCR), operated by TEP USA. Within two years of installation, the Matterhorn facility has seen a Category 4 and a Category 5 hurricane pass over the facility, corresponding to wave heights in excess of the 1,000-year return conditions. This paper reports an engineering assessment of the response of the SCR to the first of these events, Hurricane Ivan, under metocean conditions measured during the storm. The assessment of the SCR under Hurricane Ivan provides valuable insight into the hurricane response of TLP SCRs and allows this information to feed back to the design process and metocean definition. When such extreme metocean events occur, it is essential for the operator to be aware of the impact of the storm on riser and facility integrity, in terms of proximity to design limits and effect on design fatigue life. The significance of this issue is clearly demonstrated by this paper, especially in light of recent 2005 hurricane events in the Gulf of Mexico.