Numerical Modelling of Three-dimensional Scour below Offshore Pipelines. Australia's increasing offshore oil and gas exploration has demanded more accurate and reliable methods for evaluating the safety and serviceability of pipelines. Local scour around pipelines is one of the major causes of pipeline failures, and is a major concern in Australian waters. This project not only addresses these concerns in its direct application to the design and management of offshore pipelines, but also will co ....Numerical Modelling of Three-dimensional Scour below Offshore Pipelines. Australia's increasing offshore oil and gas exploration has demanded more accurate and reliable methods for evaluating the safety and serviceability of pipelines. Local scour around pipelines is one of the major causes of pipeline failures, and is a major concern in Australian waters. This project not only addresses these concerns in its direct application to the design and management of offshore pipelines, but also will contribute to the nation's development and competitiveness in offshore exploration, and produce high quality research students. The improved design and management of pipelines in Australian waters will reduce the risk of potential environmental damages caused by leaking gas and oil.Read moreRead less
Engineering solutions for the next generation of offshore oil and gas infrastructure. Offshore extraction of oil and gas reserves is a key industry for Australia, annually contributing A$21 billion to the economy, and underpinning much of our prosperity. With reserves close to shore being exhausted and A$1 trillion of gas reserves (four times that already developed) known to be 'stranded' in deep and remote locations, the outcomes of the proposed research programme will help scientifically under ....Engineering solutions for the next generation of offshore oil and gas infrastructure. Offshore extraction of oil and gas reserves is a key industry for Australia, annually contributing A$21 billion to the economy, and underpinning much of our prosperity. With reserves close to shore being exhausted and A$1 trillion of gas reserves (four times that already developed) known to be 'stranded' in deep and remote locations, the outcomes of the proposed research programme will help scientifically underpin the reliable design of the next generation of Australia's exploration and development infrastructure. It continues Australia's leadership in the field of offshore geotechnics and engineering, fostering tomorrow's engineering leaders and ensuring the future competitiveness of Australia's offshore oil and gas industry.Read moreRead less
Seabed engineering to unlock Australia's deepwater oil and gas resources. The development of offshore petroleum contributes $25 billion annually to the Australian economy. The majority of our $1 trillion of reserves are currently untapped, being in deep water, remote from shore. This Fellowship will generate a scientific understanding of the mechanics of seabed sediments when disturbed by infrastructure and ocean storms, and lead to procedures for designing the seabed pipelines and facilities ne ....Seabed engineering to unlock Australia's deepwater oil and gas resources. The development of offshore petroleum contributes $25 billion annually to the Australian economy. The majority of our $1 trillion of reserves are currently untapped, being in deep water, remote from shore. This Fellowship will generate a scientific understanding of the mechanics of seabed sediments when disturbed by infrastructure and ocean storms, and lead to procedures for designing the seabed pipelines and facilities needed to unlock Australia's isolated deep water petroleum reserves. These procedures will provide economic solutions for safely transmitting the hydrocarbons to shore. The resulting expertise will enhance Australia's global reputation in offshore geotechnics and engineering and raise the competitiveness of our petroleum industry.Read moreRead less
On-Bottom Stability of Large Diameter Submarine Pipelines. Offshore oil and gas extraction contributes approximately $17 billion annually to Australian economy. As the extraction activities increase, the length of pipelines being installed in Australian waters increases exponentially. The typical cost of a large diameter pipeline on the North West Shelf (NWS) of Australia is approximately $4.5 million/km. On-bottom stabilisation measures account for approximately 30% of the total cost. It is exp ....On-Bottom Stability of Large Diameter Submarine Pipelines. Offshore oil and gas extraction contributes approximately $17 billion annually to Australian economy. As the extraction activities increase, the length of pipelines being installed in Australian waters increases exponentially. The typical cost of a large diameter pipeline on the North West Shelf (NWS) of Australia is approximately $4.5 million/km. On-bottom stabilisation measures account for approximately 30% of the total cost. It is expected that the outcomes of this project will enable significant cost savings for the new projects currently being developed such as Pluto, Browse, Sunrise and Greater Gorgon, and will provide the scientific evidence that will underpin the life extension reviews of existing trunklines.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 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
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