DeepStar 10,000-ft Water Depth DDCV Study

摘要

Deep Draft Caisson Vessels (DDCV) or spars have been usedrnin the Gulf of Mexico in water depths up to 4,800 ft and theirrnuse is being considered in ultra-deep waters up to 10,000 ft. Arnmajor study sponsored by DeepStar was used to provide arnsystematic and credible evaluation of DDCV mooring andrnriser technology alternatives for a challenging 10,000 ft waterrndepth application in the Gulf of Mexico. This paper providesrnan overview of the DeepStar study objectives, scope and thernsignificant conclusions. A base case DDCV was firstrndeveloped for 10,000 ft water depth using extensions ofrncurrent technologies for hull, mooring and risers. Several costrnsaving alternatives were then considered. These includedrnpolyester mooring, composite risers and a high levelrnevaluation of other lightweight risers. A high pressure andrnhigh temperature reservoir and a high current environmentrn(HP-HT-HC) were considered. The comprehensive studyrnresulted in a number of significant conclusions.