Metocean Criteria for Drilling and Production Platforms in ISO 19901-1 & API RP 2 MET

Markku Santala, Chevron December 2012

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Outline
Intended purpose of 19901-1 and 2MET Historical background
API 2A to API 2MET ISO19901-1

Document similarities Regional Annexes :

utility and limitations of regional annexes motivation for site-specific studies

Conclusions

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Intent of 19901-1 & 2MET

19901-1 and 2MET intended as standards for development of and interpretation of metocean criteria The scope of the documents is to:
give general requirements for the determination and use of meteorological and oceanographic (metocean) conditions for the design, construction and operation of offshore structures of all types..

Requirements fall into two broad categories:

those that relate to the determination of environmental conditions those that relate to the characterization and use of metocean parameters

With only minor exceptions the documents are not sources of metocean criteria
Note: Text in from 19901-1 Rev 2 Draft; emphasis my own

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Evolution of API criteria to 2MET

Origins in the RP2A fixed platform series
reference wave height curve specified to 400ft depth wave direction & associated current added in 20th edition

API split metocean from structures in 2007 with INTMET

only provided guidance for hurricanes provided return periods of 10-years to over 1000-years

2MET will provide guidance on a wide range of relevant wind, wave and current conditions

High Level API Metocean Timeline

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Evolution of ISO19901-1
ISO19901-1 originally developed as a stand-alone metocean document
paralleled documents to cover fixed structures (19901-2) and various floating concepts (other 19901 series documents) in many aspects 1st edition text contained a criteria for fixed structures viewpoint
Provided indicative conditions in regional annexes for: 1. Northwest Europe, 2. West Coast of Africa, 3. U.S. Gulf of Mexico, 4. California Coast, 5. East Coast of Canada

Edition 2 due in 2013 will

Clarify guidance improved readability eliminate fixed structures viewpoint bias

Contain updated/new annexes for :1. Northwest Europe, 2. West Coast of Africa, 3. U.S.A Gulf of Mexico, California & Other, 4. Offshore Canada, 5. Sakhalin / Sea of Okhotsk, 6. Caspian Sea, 7. Southern East Asia Seas

High Level ISO Metocean Timeline

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Similarity between 19901-1 2nd and 2MET

The normative and informative text of 19901-1 will form the main text of 2MET 2MET will provide a Gulf of Mexico regional annex which will have a greater level of detail and slightly different scope than other ISO annexes ISO Annexes (excluding the Gulf of Mexico)
Only indicative values for nominal locations within a region In most cases the nominal location is not precisely specified Only specify winds, waves and currents up to a return period of 100-years

API RP 2MET (and the ISO Gulf of Mexico annex)

Site specific studies are always recommended in preference to using the annex indicative values. may be used for the design of fixed platforms in the Gulf of Mexico in water depths between 10m and 120m may also be used for assessment of MODU moorings per RP 2SK C-1 (low consequence) situations For all other situations outside of these exceptions for 2A, 2SIM and 2SK, a comprehensive site-specific metocean study must be performed in order to develop appropriate design criteria.

Specifies wind, wave and current conditions to return periods of 2000-years

Note: Text in from 2MET Ballot2 Draft; emphasis my own

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High Level Summary of Normative / Informative Text

Describes process of criteria development
selection of parameters appropriate for design/operational purpose appropriate input data required to develop criteria development of different types of criteria extreme values inputs to fatigue assessments inputs for operations planning

Describes aspects of parameters relevant to offshore design/operations:

Water depth, tides, storm surges Wind; profiles, averaging intervals & spectra Waves; spectra, spreading, kinematics, individual waves & crests Currents; profiles, stretching, blockage factors Other parameters; marine growth, tsunamis, seiches, sea ice, snow

Describes principals of metocean data collection (new to 19901-1 2nd ed.)

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Purpose of Regional Annexes; Highlight local phenomena

One purpose of the regional annexes is to inform design engineers of phenomena relevant to design that may be of particular importance in a region

Notable Phenomena by Region

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Purpose of Regional Annexes; High Level Comparison Between Regions

Global scale of annexes allows rough regional comparisons Limitation on utility:
Generally only have independent extremes Nominal locations do not describe variations within region Extremes in different areas were computed with differing levels of conservatism
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Motivation for Site Specific Studies; Variations within Regions

Within regions criteria can vary over fairly small distances
on the continental shelf fetch limitations, shoaling, refraction & breaking change wave heights and directions cyclone characteristics vary with latitude, proximity to land current process can vary strongly with water depth

GoM Hurricane Dominant Wave Directions

Even within detailed Gulf of Mexico annexes some parameters are characterized fairly simply
dominant wave direction example to right

API 20th & 2MET

Large-scale regional overviews can help put site-specific studies in context and can aid in the criteria derivation process
large-scale studies give insight into regional variations necessary to assess appropriateness of site-pooling or using data from a near-by site large-scale regional studies serve as a first order check of site specific studies

site-by-site study
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Motivation for Site Specific Studies; Varying Hazard Curves Between Regions
The slope of the hazard curves varies by region
influenced by storm type and storm frequency low frequency storms tend to lead to higher slopes (e.g., Thailand) in shallow water breaking limits may flatten curves at tail GoM curve may not correspond to one used years ago

In all areas these curves are difficult to estimate

In low latitude cyclone areas with low storm frequencies curve will be particularly steep and particularly difficult to estimate Concept becomes more complex when response depends on multiple variables
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normalized Hs & wind vs. return period

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Motivation for Site Specific Studies; Response Analysis Time Histories

Response analyses formally consider extreme loads rather than extreme load responses in extreme load cases
requires a long time history of wind, wave and current (or other parameters that drive response) requires a response function captures joint occurrence of wind, wave & current generally includes wave periods generally includes directionality

May identify critical cases not found by traditional

peak wave + associated wind & current peak wind + associated wave & current peak current + associated wave & wind

Difficulties in response analysis

sometimes it is difficult to develop credible longterm simultaneous time series in early project phases a concept may not even be selected let alone response functions developed

sample response analysis

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Conclusions
ISO19901-1 2nd ed & 2MET will closely align in content Documents provide guidance on how to develop and interpret metocean criteria
documents always recommend that site-specific studies are the preferred option for developing criteria to be used for design

Regional Annexes :
provide information on locally important metocean phenomena a means for a rough comparison between regions do not provide metocean criteria appropriate for design (except for limited cases in the Gulf of Mexico) do not provide insight into Hs, wind or current hazard curve shapes beyond 100-year return period (except in Gulf of Mexico) do not cover all active exploration / development provinces
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