Note: This report is part of a broader project “Comparative Risk Analysis of Composite & Steel Risers for Deepwater Floating Production Systems” (MMS Project 490)
As offshore activities move into deep water, there is a growing interest in the use of composite production risers instead of metallic risers. Among numerous benefits that composite materials offer, the most significant impact is in weight reduction and subsequent increase in specific strength. In addition to weight reduction, composite materials are known to have excellent fatigue, thermal, and damping properties and high corrosion resistance. Top tensioned production systems, such as Tension Leg Platform (TLP) and spar, feature vertical access to wells and are relatively insensitive to increase in water depth in terms of cost [1, 2].
The MMS Deepwater Operating Plan (DWOP) requires that the new technology introduced in a deepwater development project must be shown to be as safe as existing technology. Therefore, the risks of a composite production riser need to be addressed with those of a steel riser that has the same functional requirements and service life. The main purpose of this report is to compile various finite element structural analyses results, which are expected to serve as inputs for risk assessments.
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