[Posted on November 3rd, by Bill Stewart]
Whether you’re in the gas and oil industry or any other industry that requires you to go out on the water, it’s critical to spend the money on anchor analysis. Even if you have engineers on staff that know how to perform the analysis, it can be advantageous to have a third party take a look and ensure that you have thought of everything.
Understand Water Patterns
There are going to be different water patterns based upon location as well as how far out from shore you go. The ocean waves need to be fully understood to prepare your rig and ensure that you have anchors heavy and long enough to handle all that you may encounter while out on the water. Insufficient anchors when it comes to big waves could result in drifting, and that can damage equipment amongst other things.
Explore Depth Issues
The depth is going to be another issue to be concerned with. An anchor is only effective if it reaches the bottom of the ocean, otherwise you can find yourself floating at sea, at the mercy of the waves. There has been a lot of deep sea exploration and using this information in conjunction with computerized analysis can tell you about depth issues in certain areas of the world.
Identify Risks
The risks of being on the water need to be fully dealt with. Stewart Technology Associates uses advanced programming with Orcaflex software. This technology can provide a “worst case scenario” for you to use to help you better identify the risks so you know what could potentially occur. Your engineers on staff may not have access to such advanced software, which means they cannot provide the same level of analysis.
Obtain the Necessary Equipment
Before you can go out on the water, you need to know what’s needed on your rig. This is not the easiest thing to do because once out on the water, getting additional equipment may prove to be difficult if not completely impossible. With anchor analysis, you can learn more about the water and what’s needed of your rig to make the necessary acquisitions prior to going offshore.
Train the Staff
All sorts of analysis, including that of seakeeping analysis, can provide details as to what the water is going to do while offshore. This information can be used to prepare the staff and train them adequately. There may be situations that occur while on the water, lowering an anchor or something else that could prove catastrophic if the employees don’t know what to do. A few pages of analysis can be just what’s needed to keep everyone in the know and provide sufficient levels of training to anyone who will be out on the water so they are capable of expecting the unexpected – and will know what to do when the unexpected actually occurs.