Summary
Note: This study is part of a broader project “Reliability of Mooring Systems for Floating Production Systems” (MMS Project 423).
The mooring systems for floating structures are currently designed on the basis of the failure probability of the most heavily loaded component. The most heavily loaded line and anchor are checked under extreme loading conditions with the mooring system intact the thereafter, with the most heavily loaded component removed. The mooring system is generally deemed to have failed if the critically loaded component of the systems fails. How ever, the performance of the mooring system depends not solely on the most heavily loaded component, but also on the dynamic interactions between all its components. Put in simple words, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
The objective of this study is to assess the component and system reliabilities of a mooring system for a spar that is representative of existing technology in the Gulf on Mexico for oil and gas productions. This work is intended to provide guidance to the design of mooring systems for floating production systems.
Related Publications: Gilbert, R. B., Choi, Y. J., Dangyach, S. and Najjar, S. S. (2005), “Reliability-Based Design Considerations for Deepwater Mooring System Foundations,” Proceedings, Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics, Perth, Western Australia, pp 317-324.
