The kinds of technology currently being applied to the design, construction, installation and operation of offshore structures for oil and gas exploration and production are quite sophisticated and include many examples of innovative configurations and approaches. The decade of the 1990s should see further evolution, reinterpretation and improvements of concepts that are already in service or being readied for service. The importance of offshore oil and gas may be judged by the projection that over half of overall exploration investments will go to offshore prospects in future years. This paper surveys some expected evolutions, with particular emphasis on the challenging area of deep-water applications. Some features of a tension leg platform design are discussed as an example of a deep-water oil production system. An attempt is made to recognize the problems of applying advanced engineering and analytical capabilities, when many specialists must interact, to producing a thoroughly engineered design, which is also balanced and economical, for such innovative systems.
A comprehensive analysis of the effects of offshore oil and gas exploration and production on the benthic communities of the Norwegian continental shelf