[Posted on December 3rd, by Bill Stewart]
Every project is different. If you are going to use single point moorings, you have to be confident that they are going to hold up within the environment of your platform. There are various problems that can go wrong in the water and you need to be sure you do sufficient analysis before making assumptions about what you will face.
The last thing you want is to face stronger waves than initially anticipated. Waves are powerful surges of water that can have a negative impact on the way that you keep an oil rig, boat, or any other vessel in place.
You cannot risk damaging your rig in any capacity. Single point moorings can be effective, but they are not always the most effective depending upon your setup and the location where you will be.
Orcaflex is a type of software that is capable of providing substantial amounts of analysis. This will allow you to choose the right number of points for a mooring. You may decide that a single point is sufficient enough or you may decide that multiple points or the use of an anchor is going to be the best solution.
Worst-case scenarios should always be factored in. Once you are out on the water, you are going to depend on boat moorings to keep you in place so that you don’t drift. You may also be using them so that you can get off of the boat or vessel for one reason or another.
When you leave the vessel, you need it to be where you left it. If there are higher waves, storms, or other issues, the single point moorings may not work, causing problems. It could be enough to damage the vessel or cause a break from the mooring, which means that your vessel could end up drifting through the ocean. Depending on the storm and the waves, it could be positioned miles away from you – and that can leave you stranded.
The best thing to do is focus on analysis of the moorings as well as the environment that they will be forced to perform to avoid any incidents. There are countless boating and marine accidents every year because people fail to do sufficient analysis. Regardless of whether you are in the gas and oil industry or any other industry, if you are going to be on the water, it is imperative that you bring the right supplies with you.
Knowledge is going to go a long way to protecting you, your staff, as well as all of your gear. New software can do a substantial amount of the analysis for you so that there is no question as to what you really need. The software can provide recommendations and give you calculations that you can rely on for all of your projects.