The waves of and winds of the ocean can have devastating consequences on oil and gas operations located offshore. Offshore vessels must retain their position regardless of the waves, winds, and currents that that oppose them. A method that can make this possible is referred to as dynamic positioning.
Consequences of the Slightest Movements to Drilling Operations
Although offshore drilling occurs in shallower waters can utilize a jack up to anchor position on the seafloor just above the location, deep water drilling makes use of a rig that floats just above the location, whether it’s a drillship or a semi-sub. Drilling equipment and spend very long distances, sometimes thousands of feet, before it touches the ocean floor. Even the slightest movements above the surface of the water can have drastic consequences to the drilling operations above.
Maintaining the position of floating equipment, whether involving production or drilling operations, is crucial to the success and logistics of the overall procedure. Production and drilling risers have flexibility built into them to account for certain movements that occurred due to ocean currents. However, if those movements are too excessive, the drilling and production equipment can be damaged and require repair to resume production.
Dynamic Positioning – A More Stable Method
Although boats and floating facilities can be anchored to the ocean floor in a number of different ways, the method of dynamic positioning offers a more stable and reliable method of keeping a vessel in position.
This method requires vessels that have powered propellers, or thrusters installed around the vessel – they are positioned on both sides of the vessel as well as at the front and back which helps keep the vessel in a steady position even as outside forces attempt to new vessel out of position.
The thrusters are activated automatically through computerized system. Sensors installed on the ocean floor provide information about the position of the vessel. Wind and other weather information as well as satellite communications are transmitted to the computer system which enables the movements of the vessel to be controlled. In this dynamic positioning system, the computer starts the thrusters based on the information it receives to counteract any movements of the vessel due to outside forces.
