Technological
Challenge: Floating
structures research continues to evolve to support the technical
challenges posed by the economic and safe development
of oil and gas reserves in ever-increasing water depths and at
locations remote from existing infrastructure. Research projects continue
to focus
on the design and operation of Tanker-Based FPSO’s in the
hurricane and loop current environments in the Gulf of Mexico.
Research projects
are also addressing
the overall safety of deepwater production systems. New research
this year will investigate the static and dynamic stability of
various classes of TLPs under extreme hurricane and Loop current
conditions where, for whatever reason, one or more tendons have
been lost due to damage or disconnect.
