Spar Technology for Arctic Region Challenges

Arctic deepwater regions present special criteria for platform designs. These criteria include the ability to resist local and global loads from ice in addition to the loads conveyed by waves, wind and current. In some cases, a platform has to be moved to avoid contact with ice. This paper addresses the technical feasibility of a Spar design that can be disconnected from its mooring and riser system and towed out of the path of an encroaching iceberg. The paper also examines motions of the hull and load in the mooring lines in extreme loading conditions. The hull and mooring are sized for 100-year hurricane conditions in the North Atlantic region. Estimates of pack ice loading are compared to the responses and results show that the maximum mooring loads are governed by 100-year hurricane conditions and not the ice conditions. The paper presents conceptual design for quick release mooring and riser systems and preliminary dimension analyses of various components are provided.