Mirage and Telemark Fields - Classification and Regulatory Considerations for Facilities Construction

Abstract

This article, written by Senior Technology Editor Dennis Denney, contains highlights of paper OTC 21022, ’Development of Mirage and Telemark Fields - Classification and Regulatory Considerations Applied to an Innovative Concept,’ by Luiz P. Feijo, ABS; G. Ross Frazer, SPE, ATP Oil & Gas; and Wanda J. Parker, SPE, WJP Enterprises, prepared for the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 3-6 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. To meet challenges of producing oil and gas from deepwater fields in increasingly harsher environments, new concepts of floating production facilities have been developed. These facility concepts intend to provide cost-effective solutions through simplified construction processes, coupled with more-efficient operational characteristics. New technologies are introduced for which no directly applicable classification or regulatory requirements exist. Therefore, classification societies adapt existing requirements to the new designs to allow their development. Introduction Over the last 20 years, energy consumption increased at an average rate of 1.92%/yr, and steady growth is projected until 2030, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Continued growth of energy demand depends heavily on finding and developing new oil and gas sources. Offshore deepwater fields are a major source for new oil and gas production. Typically, development of these offshore fields requires a floating production facility capable of withstanding environmental conditions that prevail in that region. Floating production, storage, and offloading vessels; semisubmersible production units; tension-leg platforms; and spars are proven floating structures that are now commonly used for offshore production operations in deep water. New solutions that are technically advanced and suitable for the application, while limiting capital expenditures, can provide simple construction processes and/or offer greater operational efficiency and flexibility. These concepts are based on the existing regulatory framework and industry standards. Development of the ATP Titan platform was based on a concept that demonstrated the need for the definition of the regulatory framework to be applied in the design, fabrication, and installation phases of the floating production facility. Regulatory Background Generally, a floating offshore facility operating in international trade must meet statutory requirements from international organizations such as the International Maritime Organization, flag-state regulations, and classification-society rules. Floating facilities operating in the US federal waters are not required to be flagged, but must meet US regulations and, typically, meet classification-society rules. The ATP Titan is a deepwater floating offshore production facility installed in the Mirage field of the Telemark Hub Development in the US outer continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico in Mississippi Canyon Block 941. Therefore, US federal regulations apply. Also, the operator requested that the facility be classed by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).