Mooring drilling and production units without conventional winches, fairleads

摘要

A method of mooring mobile drilling units and permanent production vessels without the aid of conventional winches and fairleads has been developed by CSO Aker Marine Contractors (Houston) in conjunction with BP. The method is being applied now as a backup system to a dynamically positioned (DP) drilling unit in the Gulf of Mexico, which is operating in relatively shallow water. However, the system has wider applications. For example, it will allow: 1. Existing rigs to survive higher design conditions by simply installing additional mooring legs.