Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH140100012
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,997,672.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Offshore Floating Facilities. ARC Research Hub for Offshore Floating Facilities. This research hub aims to address the critical engineering challenges associated with Australia’s next generation of offshore oil and gas projects. These projects, in remote deep-water locations, will require innovative floating facilities. Using world-leading expertise in metocean, hydrodynamic, geotechnical and reliability engineering, the hub aims to develop the new technologies and analysis ....ARC Research Hub for Offshore Floating Facilities. ARC Research Hub for Offshore Floating Facilities. This research hub aims to address the critical engineering challenges associated with Australia’s next generation of offshore oil and gas projects. These projects, in remote deep-water locations, will require innovative floating facilities. Using world-leading expertise in metocean, hydrodynamic, geotechnical and reliability engineering, the hub aims to develop the new technologies and analysis methods that are required to make projects safe, efficient and cost-effective. This research will include wave and current forecasting, vessel motion and offloading analysis, riser and mooring longevity and novel anchoring and subsea foundations. This is expected to lead to safer, more economical projects and should develop Western Australia’s role as an oil and gas centre of excellence.Read moreRead less
Scour and scour protection around gravity anchors. The costs for scour protection around gravity anchors in a typical offshore project are in the order of 10-20 million dollars. With the increasing number of gravity anchors being installed in Australian waters, significant cost savings are expected to be achieved through improved understanding of local scour and scour protection around gravity anchors. The outcomes of this project can be applied directly to the design of new large diameter pipel ....Scour and scour protection around gravity anchors. The costs for scour protection around gravity anchors in a typical offshore project are in the order of 10-20 million dollars. With the increasing number of gravity anchors being installed in Australian waters, significant cost savings are expected to be achieved through improved understanding of local scour and scour protection around gravity anchors. The outcomes of this project can be applied directly to the design of new large diameter pipelines, will lead to reduction of scour protection costs and enhancement of safety of the pipeline to be stabilized, and increase the competitiveness of Australian oil and gas industry.Read moreRead less
Deep Penetrating Anchors - a cost effective anchoring solution for mooring oil and gas facilities in deep water. The offshore oil and gas industry is currently directing considerable research efforts towards the development of cost-effective anchoring solutions suitable for mooring floating installations in deep water. This project aims to enhance the limited understanding of the Deep Penetrating Anchor (DPA), which has been identified as having the most potential to meet industry demands as it ....Deep Penetrating Anchors - a cost effective anchoring solution for mooring oil and gas facilities in deep water. The offshore oil and gas industry is currently directing considerable research efforts towards the development of cost-effective anchoring solutions suitable for mooring floating installations in deep water. This project aims to enhance the limited understanding of the Deep Penetrating Anchor (DPA), which has been identified as having the most potential to meet industry demands as it extends the current water depth limit of 2000 metres. Successful completion of this project will result in a DPA experimental database that will not only form the basis for predicting anchor performance, but will also serve as a means of validating robust and versatile design tools that can be used in offshore engineering practice.Read moreRead less
A highly resolved chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental framework for Pre-Salt Brazilian core basins. Hydrocarbon production and exploration today support viable economies. The engagement of industry with higher learning institutions will advance and enhance the discipline of petroleum geology, with a resultant spectrum from new sources of oil and gas to significantly reducing CO2 emissions (and decreasing the impact of global warming). National and community benefits are diverse: training ....A highly resolved chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental framework for Pre-Salt Brazilian core basins. Hydrocarbon production and exploration today support viable economies. The engagement of industry with higher learning institutions will advance and enhance the discipline of petroleum geology, with a resultant spectrum from new sources of oil and gas to significantly reducing CO2 emissions (and decreasing the impact of global warming). National and community benefits are diverse: training and research support for many graduate students and staff in Australia, a better understanding of ancient greenhouse climates, testing and refinement of new techniques (e.g. bioevents, biosteering) in petroleum studies and practical experience of integrating data from frontier exploration wells.Read moreRead less
A novel foundation to extend the operation of mobile structures into deeper water. Oil and gas is a key industry in Australia, contributing A$17 billion to the economy. However, with the large accessible reserves in shallower waters becoming exhausted, Australian oil and gas companies require new technologies to extend their capabilities. The research in this proposal addresses this concern, providing an extension of the operational depth range of mobile jack-up platforms from 120 to 200 m. This ....A novel foundation to extend the operation of mobile structures into deeper water. Oil and gas is a key industry in Australia, contributing A$17 billion to the economy. However, with the large accessible reserves in shallower waters becoming exhausted, Australian oil and gas companies require new technologies to extend their capabilities. The research in this proposal addresses this concern, providing an extension of the operational depth range of mobile jack-up platforms from 120 to 200 m. This creates the opportunity to develop the significant number of Australia's smaller gas fields that are currently uneconomical to exploit. The proposed project will contribute to the future competitiveness of Australia's oil and gas industry and ensuring energy supply for the sustained growth of the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Application of flow-round penetrometers for characterising soft sediments. Soft sediments present unique challenges in geotechnical engineering due to their sensitivity to disturbance during sampling. Strength measurement therefore relies on field tests, and novel penetrometers that force soil to flow around the probe have the potential for significantly improved accuracy compared with conventional cone penetrometers. The project aims to establish a definitive framework for interpreting result ....Application of flow-round penetrometers for characterising soft sediments. Soft sediments present unique challenges in geotechnical engineering due to their sensitivity to disturbance during sampling. Strength measurement therefore relies on field tests, and novel penetrometers that force soil to flow around the probe have the potential for significantly improved accuracy compared with conventional cone penetrometers. The project aims to establish a definitive framework for interpreting results of field tests using flow-round penetrometers, through careful comparison of laboratory and field strength measurements. Applications of the work range from characterising deepwater sediments for offshore developments, to monitoring the strength of pastes in the mining and materials handling industries.Read moreRead less
Physical modelling of on-bottom pipelines and offshore anchoring systems. The collaborative research programme will consist of physical modelling of suction caissons, piles and pipeline sections in order to advance the geotechnical design of deepwater facilities for offshore hydrocarbon production. The collaboration will underpin new technologies, such as steel catenary risers and suction caissons for deepwater anchoring, providing benchmark data for the validation of analysis tools. Benefits al ....Physical modelling of on-bottom pipelines and offshore anchoring systems. The collaborative research programme will consist of physical modelling of suction caissons, piles and pipeline sections in order to advance the geotechnical design of deepwater facilities for offshore hydrocarbon production. The collaboration will underpin new technologies, such as steel catenary risers and suction caissons for deepwater anchoring, providing benchmark data for the validation of analysis tools. Benefits also include the exchange of recent technical advances between geotechnical centrifuge facilities in Australia, France and the UK, all of whom are active in modelling offshore foundation systems, ensuring that Australian research remains at the forefront of world best-practice.Read moreRead less
Follower-embedded plate anchors to underpin economic development in ultra deep water. Oil and gas is a key Australian industry, worth over $15 billion annually. In order to maintain current hydrocarbon production levels, Australian offshore oil and gas companies are extending their capabilities beyond the 2000 metre water depth limit. The offshore industry has identified economic and geotechnical limitations of current anchoring technology to be the major challenge that must be overcome in order ....Follower-embedded plate anchors to underpin economic development in ultra deep water. Oil and gas is a key Australian industry, worth over $15 billion annually. In order to maintain current hydrocarbon production levels, Australian offshore oil and gas companies are extending their capabilities beyond the 2000 metre water depth limit. The offshore industry has identified economic and geotechnical limitations of current anchoring technology to be the major challenge that must be overcome in order to make this transition into deep and ultra-deep water. The research proposed in this project focuses directly on this critical issue, with potential for immediate application to the Australian offshore oil and gas industry, and ensuring the continued viability of the key oil and gas industry in Australia.Read moreRead less
Unlocking Australia's offshore gas endowment. This project aims to develop practical new methods of predicting and detecting the formation of solids in gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. Australia has large offshore reserves of natural gas and has made the investments necessary to help fuel the global transition to cleaner, reliable energy sources. However, conventional engineering approaches of producing gas from deep-water reserves have reached the limits of viability because of t ....Unlocking Australia's offshore gas endowment. This project aims to develop practical new methods of predicting and detecting the formation of solids in gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. Australia has large offshore reserves of natural gas and has made the investments necessary to help fuel the global transition to cleaner, reliable energy sources. However, conventional engineering approaches of producing gas from deep-water reserves have reached the limits of viability because of the costs required to prevent solids forming in subsea pipelines or cryogenic LNG plants. The project’s expected outcome include sophisticated tools in open-access software based on these new predictive methods, and a step-change in Australia’s ability to access its offshore gas.Read moreRead less
Geotechnical engineering solutions for deep-water oil and gas developments. Offshore extraction of oil and gas lies at the heart of Australia's prosperity, but faces escalating challenges in water depths already in excess of 1 km and approaching 3 km. Safe and economic design of seabed systems and pipelines requires novel techniques for assessing the engineering properties of seabed sediments, and for foundation and anchoring systems that must withstand extreme loading conditions. This project c ....Geotechnical engineering solutions for deep-water oil and gas developments. Offshore extraction of oil and gas lies at the heart of Australia's prosperity, but faces escalating challenges in water depths already in excess of 1 km and approaching 3 km. Safe and economic design of seabed systems and pipelines requires novel techniques for assessing the engineering properties of seabed sediments, and for foundation and anchoring systems that must withstand extreme loading conditions. This project contributes to future exploitation of offshore hydrocarbon reserves, by developing new technology and improved reliability in offshore geotechnical design, with consequential benefits to our economy and in minimising impact on the marine environment. Read moreRead less