Compression Assessment of Deepwater Steel Catenary Risers at Touch Down Zone

A steel catenary riser (SCR) is a widely used concept for deepwater floating production facilities. Severe motions of a floating host facility such as a semisubmersible or FPSO may cause a significant compression load on SCRs at the touch down zone (TDZ). This paper investigates how to assess the compression that could be experienced by deepwater SCRs, including methodology, failure modes considered, acceptance criteria, computer modeling, and describe the steps necessary for assessing the compression forces. To demonstrate the proposed methodology and criteria, a recent example of the Independence Hub 20-inch Gas Export SCR in ultra deepwater (i.e. 8,000 ft) is given to illustrate the compression and buckling phenomenon. The behavior of the SCR compression and buckling at the TDZ is investigated by using a nonlinear finite element method to determine the mechanism and governing factors. Both beam and shell elements are used in the detailed analysis for comparison purposes. In addition a strain-based criterion is implemented to determine if the compression level is acceptable. Short term fatigue damage is also calculated by using the time domain rain-flow method. In general, the paper presents an analysis procedure outlining the steps necessary for evaluating the compression and buckling phenomenon of deepwater SCRs.