DrillACE concept for New Zealand waters
Rodney Pinna A , Glynn Thomas A and Michael Bieganski AArup
The APPEA Journal 49(1) 269-282 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ08016
Published: 2009
Abstract
The Maari DrillACE Well Head Platform (WHP) was installed offshore New Zealand during the second quarter of 2008 for the designated operator OMV New Zealand Ltd. The platform was engineered and designed by Arup and Clough. Clough was responsible for engineering, procurement, construction and installation activities on the project, with Arup undertaking the design of the primary steel structure, including the plated base, deck and tubular jacket. The Maari WHP was the third ACE platform and the second DrillACE platform to be installed. This paper considers a number of the unique features of the structural design of the Maari DrillACE platform that were encountered during this project as well as providing a background on the ACE platform concept.
Rodney Pinna is an associate with Arup and leads the offshore structural engineering group in Perth. Dr Pinna graduated from the University of Western Australia (1996) and later completed a PhD (2003). His previous work as a researcher had a particular focus on the use of reliability analysis for the design of steel jacket structures, and the suitability of API RP-2A for areas outside the Gulf of Mexico. Dr Pinna also has experience in the use of finite element modelling for advanced structural analysis mainly focussed on offshore structures, but has previously worked on general building structures and on aerospace structures. Dr Pinna’s work is presently focussed on the analysis of steel jacket offshore structures. rodney.pinna@arup.com.au |
Glynn Thomas is a principal with Arup and the leader of the infrastructure business in Perth. He is responsible for business development, group strategy and resource management but also maintains a hands-on role in the design development and project delivery for specialist offshore structure. Mr Thomas is also the oil and gas business leader for the Australasia region, with responsibility for the development of new oil and gas business in the region and the global coordination of the oil and gas business. Mr Thomas’ expertise includes the engineering and construction management of major offshore concrete and steel substructures for drilling platforms and process platforms. In particular, he has had a significant involvement with the conceptual design, FEED and detailed design of platform substructures, which have integrated hydrocarbon or LNG storage in the substructure. glynn.thomas@arup.com |
Michael Bieganski is a structural engineer with Arup Energy in Perth. He graduated from Curtin University of Technology, with first class honours in 2004. Mr. Bieganski has a wide range of experience in a number of offshore oil and gas projects, including the detailed design of piled jacket drilling platforms and steel gravity based central processing platforms. Mr. Bieganski was responsible for numerous design tasks on the Maari Wellhead Platform during the detailed design phase. He also assisted with engineering support during the Maari wellhead platform construction. michael.bieganski@arup.com.au |
