| Project Number |
362 |
| Date of Summary |
September 9, 2005 |
| Subject |
Deep
Water Anchor Reliability |
| Performing Activity |
Texas A&M University,
Offshore Technology Research Center (OTRC) |
| Principal Investigator |
Murff,
Gilbert, Olson, Rauch, Tassoulas, Aubeny |
| Contracting Agency |
Minerals Management Service |
| Estimated Completion |
Completed |
| Description |
The goal of this project is to establish a comprehensive research program
on deep water anchors with applications to drilling and production
operations. The work has three objectives;
1) Determine currently available, best practices for analysis and design of
suction cassion anchors (SCAs) and vertically loaded anchors (VLAs),
including drag embedment anchors (DEAs) and suction embedded plate anchors
(SEPLAs);
2) Characterize deep water environments and site investigations strategies;
3) Effect significant improvements in the accuracy and precision of
installation and capacity predictions for SCAs and VLAs through studies. |
| Progress |
The lab test was designed for bench-scale modeling and
an API
project was used to collect and document data from sites.
The following
results were achieved: a workshop was held on suction cassion design with 35 participants, model
was developed to handle more realistic
loading conditions, a 3-D model was built to include combined loading and to better
understand the effects of installation on capacity. This study will be used to help design future SCA and VLA
guidelines for API Recommended Practices. |
| Report |
AA1
(15 pages)
 |
Gharbawy, Sherif Lotfy El,
Suction Caissons: Finite Element Modeling, The Pullout Capacity of Suction Caisson
Foundation, Offshore Technology Research Center, National Science Foundation
Grant ECD - 8721512, February 2000. |
|
AA2 (12
pages)
|
Suction Caissons: Seafloor Characterization for Deepwater
Foundation Systems, Robert Gilbert and Shadi Najjar. |
|
3 (20 pages)
|
Suction Caissons & Vertically Loaded Anchors: Design
Analysis Methods |
|
4 (15 pages)
|
Suction Caissons: Finite Element Modeling |
|
5
(12 pages)
|
Suction Caissons: Model Tests |
|
6
(40 pages)
\ |
Najjar, Shadi. Gilbert, Robert. "Suctions
Caissons: Seafloor Characterization for Deepwater Foundation Systems."
University of Texas, June 2006. |
|
7
(40 pages)
|
Suction
Caissons & Vertically Loaded Anchors: Design Analysis Methods – Final
Report. Charles Aubeny and Don Murff, Texas A&M University, December, 2005. |
|
8
(18 pages)
|
Suction
Caissons : Finite Element Modeling – Final Report. Roy Olson, Robert B.
Gilbert, John Tassoulas, The University of Texas at Austin, Charles Aubeny
and Don Murff, Texas A&M University, December, 2005. |
|
9
(34 pages)
|
Suction
Caissons: Model Tests – Final Report. Roy Olson, Robert B. Gilbert The
University of Texas at Austin, December, 2005. |
