Endless Winding Technology for lightweight synthetic mooring lines

Abstract

The offshore industry is rapidly exploring deep and ultra deep waters. This bring challenges to the mooring and station keeping of offshore structures. Traditional mooring systems rely on steel wire ropes or polyester ropes, but as water depths increase these materials bring limitations in reaching these depths. Early studies showed a initial potential for polyester rope taut-leg moorings rather than traditional wire rope catenary mooring systems. Although little information on fibre properties or behaviour was available in early years, the use of polyester mooring lines was pioneered by Petrobras in the late 1990s and has since then been used on deep water mooring systems on platforms in Brazil, the GOM and elsewhere. Polyester ropes have now been used in water depths between 3,000 feet and 8,000 feet. With increasing water depths there is a potential need for stiffer and stronger lines to maintain acceptable platform offsets. Newer materials and innovative techniques are needed to explore these greater depths. This paper is intended to explain the use of “Endless Winding Technology” to produce lightweight mooring lines from aramid fibres, which will enable oil companies to overcome challenges when exploring greater depths.