Developing an Advanced Vessel Relocation Tool for Extending Subsea Riser’s Lifetime

Subsea steel catenary risers (SCR) transfer the hydrocarbons from seabed reservoirs to floating vessels
for processing, storage, and eventual transportation to shore. These risers are under wave and current
loads and have a limited lifetime. There is strong demand from oil and gas companies to safely prolong the
operational life of steel catenary risers. “Vessel relocation plan” is the repositioning plan that can be
implemented to extend the riser lifetime by distributing the fatigue damage in the seabed zone, which is the
area where the riser comes into repeated contact with the seabed soil. This project will employ advanced
techniques to incorporate the realistic riser-soil interaction mechanisms as observed by subsea surveys to
the vessel relocation strategies. Additionally, our research introduces an innovative technique referred to
as the “Hybrid Trench Model,” which offers a reliable means of incorporating the trench profile beneath
subsea risers.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hodjat Shiri

Student:

Partner:

Springboard Atlantic Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Oil and Gas; Sustainability & the Environment; Environmental Science and Technology

University:

Memorial University of Newfoundland

Program: