Deepwater SCR Benchmarking Methodology

One of the primary goals of riser monitoring is to build a database of measured riser behavior during different environmental conditions and compare against design predictions during each period. A comprehensive database of field measured riser response provides not only a dataset to benchmark riser performance but enables the calibration of design parameters for future risers. The calibrated set of design parameters would feedback to establish a more representative riser design process and provide greater confidence during future riser designs. The following paper establishes a methodology to benchmark riser behavior against software predictions with applications specific to a steel catenary riser (SCR) suspended from a spar platform. Aspects and challenges dealing with processing of inclined sensors to derive global motions and operational effects are discussed and addressed. A demonstration of the methodology is presented using field measurements from a Gulf of Mexico deepwater SCR under storm conditions. The riser behavior of interest for this study is specifically the touchdown motions and stress but additional comparisons are made along the entire riser length.