Torpedo piles show promise as cost-effective solution for deepwater mooring in GoM

摘要

Deploying conventional anchor systems for Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) and for permanent facilities can be costly. However, decades-old technology, supported by reliable modeling algorithms, may provide a more cost-effective solution in the future for mooring deepwater facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. During the last 10 years, Petrobras, the Brazilian oil and gas operator, has reported successful use of more than 200 torpedo piles, large cylindrical projectiles, as an eco-'nomical method for anchoring deepwater facilities in the Campos basin, offshore Brazil. Recently, several US operators have shown increased interest in torpedo piles for deep-water mooring, but lack of experience and an analytical database have made approval from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) uncertain.