Floatover Deck Installation on Spars

Deck installation is always a major installation challenge for floating structures, particularly deep draft floaters like the spar which must be installed in relatively deep water. Derrick barges have been used for spar deck installations until now. The 4000 mt deck for the Kikeh Spar was successfully installed using the floatover method in November 2006, off the coast of Sabah in the South China Sea. This demonstrates the feasibility of this concept and opens the door for more floatover decks on spars in the future. This paper will review the technical challenges associated with this type of installation. In particular, the authors will review past studies, which included analysis and model testing of similar deck floatovers for decks up to 30,000 t, and the analysis methods use to validate the procedures and equipment which was successfully used on the Kikeh project. The requirements for application of this technology in the Gulf of Mexico will be highlighted.