Rig mooring system management - First Marine Solutions

Overview

A key client had suffered several mooring integrity failures over the previous years resulting in additional risk and costs associated with recovery of failed moorings, asset downtime, as well as reputational damage.

The company made the decision to bring about major changes in the way that its moorings were managed by handing over ownership of moorings to a dedicated specialist supplier, as well as creating its own mooring standards over and above that of its competitors.

The standards imposed go far beyond what is deemed to be industry standard and ensure that the company’s MODUs are fitted with the latest mooring equipment and are subject to the most stringent inspection processes.

Approach

FMS supplies the client with mooring equipment and as well as full engineering, design, and consultancy services. We fully support the client globally in all aspects of rig moving and mooring integrity within FMS’ remit.

FMS’ approach of integrating industry leading consultancy and engineering services with its long established mooring equipment division allows our clients to demonstrate to their internal regulatory and performance departments – as well as the wider mooring industry and competing drilling contractors – that stringent inspection of moorings’ every move is possible without detriment to the operator.

FMS works closely with both the client and the current operator to ensure that mooring integrity is given the valued time and attention it deserves whilst optimising the rig moving and mooring programme through mooring engineering and design synergies.

Operations

FMS had several sections of chain manufactured, and supplemented this with its vast fleet of compliant mooring chain and anchors in order to provide the client with a dedicated rig spread, as well as a spare mooring leg that could be called upon for use as necessary.

The rig’s full eight leg mooring spread was then removed in a single operation lasting just 34 hours, before the MODU was connected to its new system at the next drilling location.

The new mooring system is subject to inspection each move, and the system is managed in such a way that allows for chains to be inspected without detriment to rig moving timings compared to previous operations without full inspections taking place.

Results

This approach results in reducing downtime due to mooring related failures and provides the operator with the reassurance that the rig is moored safely, without an increase in rig moving and mooring installation timings.

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