Dynamics of Ice Milling and Breaking During Arctic Ship Steering Operations

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erno Keskinen ◽  
Jori Montonen ◽  
Nikhil Sharma ◽  
Michel Cotsaftis
Keyword(s):  
Complex Analysis ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Arctic Zone ◽  
Bending Vibrations ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Cantilever Structure ◽  
Ice Field ◽  
Propulsion Unit

Interest to sailing in arctic zone is increasing, as due to the climatic change, the seasons when northeast and northwest passages are open enough for see transportation, are getting every year longer and longer. Some other activities like oil and gas exploration and drilling at Barents Sea require also regular sea traffic connections to be opened. Sea operations at arctic zone are challenging, because thick ice generates a high magnitude dynamic load against the hull and the propulsion units. Turning and backward sailing in thick ice field are the most critical operations, in which the steerable propulsion units are in totally different service as in the regular open sea cruising. In such operations the ice field, when guided downwards along the slope of the hull, is broken to large plates, which then are fed against the propulsion unit. The steering propulsion unit itself is a vertically mounted inverse mast column, at the top of which the horizontally spinning propeller(s) can be vertically turned to follow the steering commands. Such cantilever structure is now under random collision process when the column is breaking the underwater ice plates to smaller blocks. For hydrodynamic reasons the column has a limited cross-sectional area as compared to the propeller area making it sensitive to bending vibrations. Another dynamic interaction with ice is coming from the periodical blade-ice contact when the ice blocks pushed down to the propulsion depth are completely milled by the units. These two parallel dynamic processes have been the reason for several serious damages and losses of propulsion units leading to expensive service operations by means of support vessels. The purpose of this study has been to model the underwater propulsion system with all essential structures, parts and interactions with the surrounding fluid field and floating ice blocks. This brings a complex analysis, in which random collisions and periodical machining forces are loading the elastic hull-mounted inverse mast column with high end mass. The response behavior led to predictions for the reasons of the observed damages especially in case of collapsed bolt connections in the units.

Planning for Construction Work in Cold Climate Regions

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ove T. Gudmestad ◽  
Daniel Karunakaran
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Construction Work ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Polar Low

With increased interests in oil and gas exploration in cold climate regions, it is not realistic that all construction activities can take place during the short summer and work will continue into the early fall and possibly later. The offshore contractors must, therefore, be ready to participate in construction work in these regions during an extended season, i.e. outside the summer season with milder weather conditions. It is also important that some key work-intensive activities (e.g. pipe laying) can start as early as possible in the season. This paper will discuss the challenges associated with construction work in cold climate regions with emphasis on the physical conditions, in particular with reference to Polar Low Pressures and the potential for icing, as well as the logistics of working long distances from established supply bases. Large uncertainties in weather forecasts call for proper management decisions accounting for the specifics of the area. Long periods of “waiting on weather” might result and management must have the patience to wait until safe operations can commence. Emphasis will be on the Barents Sea where recent hydrocarbon findings have proven very encouraging and where a huge area soon will be opened for exploration, following the agreement on the border between Norway and Russia, potentially calling for joint Norwegian–Russian construction projects (Bulakh et al., 2011).

Three years (2017-19) of field observation of the marginal ice the Western Barents Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataliya Marchenko
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Mechanical Tests ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Ice Floes ◽  
The University

<p>Knowledge of sea ice state (distribution, characteristics and movement) is interesting both from a practical point of view and for fundamental science. The western part of the Barents Sea is a region of increasing activity – oil and gas exploration may growth in addition to traditional fishing and transport. So theinformation is requested by industry and safety authorities.</p><p>Three last years (2017-19) the Arctic Technology Department of the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) performed expeditions on MS Polarsyssel in April in the sea ice-marginal zone of the Western Barents Sea, as a part of teaching and research program. In (Marchenko 2018), sea ice maps were compared with observed conditions. The distinguishing feature of ice in this region is the existence of relatively small ice floes (15-30 m wide) up to 5 m in thickness, containing consolidated ice ridges. In (Marchenko 2019) we described several such floes investigated by drilling, laser scanning and ice mechanical tests, on a testing station in the place with very shallow water (20 m) where ice concentrated. In this article, we summarise three years results with more attention for level ice floes and ice floe composition, continuing to feature ice condition in comparison with sea ice maps and satellite images.</p><p>These investigations provided a realistic characterization of sea ice in the region and are a valuable addition to the long-term studies of sea ice in the region performed by various institutions.</p>

An Expert-Based Model for Reliability Analysis of Arctic Oil and Gas Processing Facilities

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoud Naseri ◽  
Javad Barabady
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Oil Processing ◽  
Life Data ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Criticality Analysis

Oil and gas companies are expanding their operations in the remote Arctic offshore with harsh weather conditions such as the Barents Sea. One of the major challenges in reliability assessment of production plants operating in such areas is lack of life data accounting for the adverse effects of harsh operating conditions. The aim of this study is to develop an expert-based model to assess the reliability of oil and gas exploration and production plants operating in Arctic regions. Expert opinions are used to modify the life data available in normal-climate locations, which are considered as the base area, to account for the effects of operating conditions. The proposed model is illustrated by assessing the reliability of an oil processing train in the Western Barents Sea. Additionally, based on a criticality analysis, some design modifications are suggested to improve the reliability of the processing train.

scholarly journals Diagenetic related flat spots within the Paleogene Sotbakken Group in the vicinity of the Senja Ridge, Barents Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manzar Fawad ◽  
Nazmul Haque Mondol ◽  
Irfan Baig ◽  
Jens Jahren
Keyword(s):  
Biogenic Silica ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Rock Physics ◽  
Gas Oil ◽  
Seismic Profiles ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Ridge Area

Rock physics analyses of data from a wildcat well 7117/9-1 drilled in the Senja Ridge area, located in the Norwegian Barents Sea, reveal changes in stiffness within the fine-grained Paleogene Sotbakken Group sediments, caused by the transformation of opal-A to opal-CT, and opal-CT to quartz. These changes manifest as flat spots on 2D seismic profiles. These flat spots were mistaken as hydrocarbon–water contacts, which led to the drilling of well 7117/9-1. Rock physics analyses on this well combined with a second well (7117/9-2) drilled further NW and updip on the Senja Ridge indicate overpressure within the opal-CT-rich zones overlying the opal-CT to quartz transformation zones in the two wells. The absence of opal-A–opal-CT and opal-CT–quartz flat spots on seismic in the second well is attributed to differences in the temperature and timing of uplift. Amplitude v. angle (AVA) modelling indicates both the opal-A–opal-CT and opal-CT–quartz interface points plot on the wet trend, whereas modelled gas–brine, oil–brine and gas–oil contacts fall within quadrant-I. These findings will be useful in understanding the nature of compaction of biogenic silica-rich sediments where flat spots could be misinterpreted as hydrocarbon-related contacts in oil and gas exploration.

scholarly journals Female expatriates’ motivations and challenges: the case of oil and gas

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Shortland
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Oil And Gas Firms

Purpose This case study is designed as a teaching exercise and this paper aims to highlight the key issues for organisations’ expatriating women within masculine industry sectors and/or into challenging international environments. Design/methodology/approach This case study draws together key published findings relating to women’s expatriation in the oil and gas exploration and production sector. It demonstrates a triangulated research design, drawing upon organisational policy from two oil and gas firms, semi-structured interviews with 14 human resource professionals and 26 female expatriates, as well as from 71 female assignees’ questionnaire responses. Findings Career and financial drivers underpin women’s motivations for accepting organisationally assigned expatriation. Women expatriates engage in satisficing and career compromise. The main challenges women face in masculine industries include access to expatriate roles because of limited female networks, family concerns, managing working time and work-life balance and coping with loneliness. Research limitations/implications The oil and gas case findings are based on a cross-sectional research design. The majority of female expatriates undertook long-term assignments; limited numbers engaged in flexpatriation. Practical implications While organisational policy supporting expatriation does not usually address gendered expatriate concerns specifically, inclusion of interventions that are identified by women as helpful to their expatriate participation can assist in increasing expatriate gender diversity. Originality/value This oil and gas research case brings together and presents a summary of the motivations, problems and challenges faced by women in male-dominated expatriate environments, together with relevant theoretical approaches and organisational interventions to help us understand and increase expatriate gender diversity.

Decision on oil and gas exploration in an Arctic area: Case study from the Norwegian Barents Sea

2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 832-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Rytter Hasle ◽  
Urban Kjellén ◽  
Ole Haugerud
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Arctic Area

The Northern Sea Route as a Tool of Arctic Development

2019 ◽  
pp. 21-44
Author(s):  
Ju.V. Zvorykina ◽  
K.S. Teteryatnikov
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Zone ◽  
Investment Projects ◽  
Northern Sea Route ◽  
Important Region ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Asian Pacific ◽  
Simplified Procedure

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the socio-economic development of the Arctic zone of Russia. The authors believe that climate change, gradually leading to the melting of polar ice, opens up new opportunities for the development of Arctic resources and navigation in the seas of the Arctic Ocean. Of particular interest to the NSR are non-Arctic countries, critically dependent on the supply of foreign mineral and carbon resources, as well as on the export of their goods to Europe. Among them, China stands out, considering the NSR as the Arctic Blue Economic Corridor as part of the global Silk Road system. The NSR is intended to become an essential tool for further development of the Arctic zone of Russia. Development of port infrastructure and creation of a modern ocean and maritime fleet will accelerate the pace of socio-economic development of this strategically important region. To do this, it is necessary to adopt a federal law on special system of preferences for investors, including foreign ones, implementing their projects in the Arctic. Among such preferences there are preferential profit tax rates, reduction in Mineral Extraction Tax (MET) rates, a declarative procedure for VAT refunds, a simplified procedure for granting land plots and unchanged conditions for the implementation of investment projects. In addition, it is important to make the NSR safe and profitable both in terms of quality of service and of price for the shippers. In particular, the payment for icebreakers’ escort of vessels should be competitive and reasonable. The largest Russian private and state-owned companies should be involved into Arctic projects. It is important to synchronize the Arctic oil and gas projects with nuclear and LNG icebreakers’ construction, as well as with the launch of two logistics hubs in Murmansk and Kamchatka. In this case, year-round NSR navigation will be organized, which will ensure the high competitiveness of Russian products supplied to the Asian Pacific markets.

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