Structural Services News

MARIN is working together with the industry to develop the Nautical Safety Profile for operations and risk management. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is increasingly being used as an alternative fuel, both at sea and on land, to reduce pollution from transportation. In 2011 the first LNG carrier arrived at the Rotterdam Gate terminal, and last year the terminal was upgraded to facilitate the transfer of LNG to shuttle tankers. An extensive safety analysis was carried out prior to the development of the terminal and a dedicated harbor access policy has been defined.

Mooring integrity is an important concern in the offshore industry [1]. Mooring leg failures can have  significant consequences, such as temporary shutdowns and require unplanned, thus expensive, repairs. On the other hand, an over dimensioned design leads to higher loads acting on the floating facilities and a large investment. Meanwhile, the development of deepwater projects has led to the discovery of the new fatigue mechanism of ‘Out of Plane Bending’ [2]. This means that the design of moorings requires more detailed analysis to ensure the integrity of the mooring system.

MARIN has used measurements from one of the Advisory Hull Monitoring Systems for FPSOs to improve inspection schedule planning and to support operators in making maintenance decisions. Maintenance is essential for operators of high performance craft and offshore units and relevant and up-to-date information is required to make well-informed decisions. As an FPSO does not enter drydock for regular inspections in-field maintenance is very important. On the other hand, inspection and maintenance is expensive because it requires a partial interruption of production…

Widescale Development of LNG Bunkering is Expected. Lloyd’s Register recently conducted a survey that indicated that the majority of major ports around the world are either planning for, or are anticipating, the widescale development of LNG bunkering. One of the locations is the Port of Rotterdam, which is a busy port with dense traffic on the various waterways consisting of both maritime and inland vessels. During the analysis, the probability of ship collisions was assessed and then the consequences were identified.

With its staggering ability to show displacements of submillimeter scale to stern waves of several meters high, the Digital Image Correlation technique has been applied on a  wide range of projects at MARIN. Examples from research programs in controlled conditions and full-scale trials are highlighted. In some situations conventional sensors cannot be applied. For example, when the sensors alter the hydro-dynamical or structural properties of the object or, when the sensor capabilities are simply too limited. However, Digital Image Correlation can provide a solution.

Premier Oil, the FTSE-250 oil and gas exploration and production company, has awarded a major asset integrity management contract to GL Noble Denton for the provision of asset integrity advice and inspection services across Premier Oil’s U.K. operated assets. The multimillion pound deal will include inspection management, risk analysis, examination support and nondestructive testing to a range of production and processing facilities. The contract, which was awarded following a competitive tender…