[Posted on April 23rd 2014 by Bill Stewart]
Whether you are in the oil drilling industry or any other offshore venture, you need to be aware of how anchor analysis is a necessity. When you use an anchor in the water, there are a lot of variables that need to be considered. If you fail to use worst-case scenarios in your analysis, you may not be prepared for what you actually face on the water.
Every day, there are maritime accidents in the news. Much of these have to do with the boats and rigs being unprepared for the conditions. It is likely that you are going to be in the deeper seas and this means being exposed to depths that require seakeeping analysis.
You have to know what to expect before you go out onto the water and at Stewart Technology, we use the latest OrcaFlex software to tell us about various conditions in order to provide anchor analysis. We take a variety of factors into consideration, including:
- Depth of water
- Height of sea swells
- Salinity of water
- Temperature of water
- Likelihood of waves
The more that we know about the sea conditions, the better we can advise on using an anchor. Steel anchors are commonly used in order to anchor a boat or a rig, but you have to be sure it is of the best alloy and that there is enough chain attached to all of it.
Various types of anchors are used as well. If you do not use one that is heavy enough, the waves are going to push the anchor along the sea floor. This is going to cause you to drift significantly, which is what you may be trying to avoid. You can avoid accidents simply by having the right anchor in place – and that is the kind of analysis that we provide to our clients.
Your project is likely of the utmost importance. If it is like others within the industry, it is expensive with various investors involved. You cannot risk having an accident that prevents you from completing the project because it could mean the end of your business. A bad reputation is the last thing that you want to create while on the water.
A little bit of planning with anchor analysis can ensure that you are well-prepared for all of the elements when you go out onto the water. We will establish worst-case scenarios so that you are prepared for anything that Mother Nature may throw at you. From there, you can choose the best anchor as well as other equipment so that your project can be carried out regardless of the conditions that you face.
You cannot always do the analysis on your own and when you want a third party to weigh in, it can save your project from disaster.