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Zawartość zarchiwizowana w dniu 2022-12-27

FABRICATION AND TEST OF A PILE DRIVING SYSTEM FOR 1000 M WATER DEPTH

Cel

The water depths in which work has to be carried out and in which equipment and structures have to be installed for the exploitation of the hydrocarbon deposits occurring below the seabed are increasing. At present installations are being studied for water depths between 500 and 1000 m. Exploration drilling has been carried out in water depths of more than 1000 m whereby exploitable hydrocarbon deposits have been located.
Thus it has to be expected that a need for a driving system in such water depths will develop so that structures can be securely fixed to the seabed by driven piles. The production and testing of a driving system fulfilling those needs is the aim of this project.
After assembly of all plant components, execution of the functional tests, and transport to Morgan City, Louisiana, the equipment was brought on board the McDermott derrick barge DB 50 where it was reassembled, connected to the board equipment, and prepared for the test.
Two test runs took place on a SHELL oil field in the Gulf of mexico interrupted by two short bad weather periods.
As planned a 90 m long tubular test pile of 1,50 m diameter was driven about 100 m deep into the seabed at a water depth of 1000 m. The target of this project has thus been achieved. Several concluding works in accordance with the project description are to be done in order to complete the project.
It has been proven successfully that pile driving operations in a water depth of 1000 m can be executed with the new developed pile driving system. Thus in the future structures for the exploitation of hydrocarbon deposits can be founded at the seabed in deep water by driven piles.
The following phases are planned :
1. Fabrication of a prototype of a deepwater driving system
2. Carrying out of function tests above water including installation
of a test pile
3. Execution of a realistic offshore test in 1000 m water depth
including the installation of a test pile at the seabed.
A prototype of a deepwater piling system should be produced including the following components :
I. Deepwater hammer
II. Circular underwater powerpack
III. Electrical system for power supply to and monitoring of
the underwater hammer
IV. Thruster or jet drive with cameras for positioning of the hammer
under water
V. Accessories for the hammer and the related equipment
VI. Miscellaneous
- A function test above water should be executed requiring the set-up of a test pile. This test pile should be installed in a harbour basin near a quay in order to permit a crane application for the test procedure either from the water side applying a floatable or from the shore side using a telescopic crane. This solution would permit easy access at low cost.
- A liability test in a water depth of 1000 m in the Gulf of Mexico should be executed applying a dynamic positioned work vessel.
In this case a test pile should be installed on the sea floor. This test pile and its support and guiding structure should be lowered to the sea floor and positioned in place. Afterwards the hammer should follow being guided and positioned onto the test pile in order to hammer the pile into the ocean floor.

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MENCK GMBH
Wkład UE
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P.O.BOX 1165
25475 Ellerau
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