DeepDraft Semi® Floating Production Unit
In 2002, responding to the emerging trend of discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico at depths nearly double that of the deepest installed TLP, SBM Atlantia embarked on a strategic initiative to expand our portfolio with a new FPU design that could economically develop ultra-deep reserves. The result was the DeepDraft Semi®, a four-column semisubmersible production facility. Our first application— the world record-holding Independence Hub— now serves as the linchpin for the industry’s most significant projects to date.
Conventional semisubmersibles are designed primarily to accommodate specific payloads. Our DeepDraft Semi® design focused on optimizing vessel motion to maximize the fatigue life of steel catenary risers (SCRs) and minimizing integration cost and risk.
The SBM Atlantia Deep Draft Semi design was developed in collaboration with an alliance of our sister companies, GustoMSC, which is an industry leader in semisubmersible hull systems. The breakthrough design deepened the draft of the facility, extending it well below the wave zone. This feature not only reduced wave-induced motion, but also allowed for additional ballast capacity to increase the mass of the hull, which, in turn, increased the structure’s natural period beyond wave periods. This design also lowers the structure’s center of gravity, further mitigating pitch and roll motion.
An added key feature of the DeepDraft Semi design is its optimization for quayside integration of the topsides facility. This capability not only reduces the high risk and expense of an offshore heavy lift, but it allows the hookup and commissioning of all facilities to take place using efficient, safe and cost-effective onshore resources. The fully integrated facility can then be towed to the field location and installed using smaller, less expensive vessels.
DeepDraft Semi® Floating Production Unit
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Enterprise Independence Hub
In 2007, the industry’s first DeepDraft Semi® was installed in a world record 8,000 ft of water on the Independence Hub project in the Gulf of Mexico. This…
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Murphy “Thunder Hawk” DeepDraft Semi®
Designed with a very similar hull to the Independence Hub DeepDraft Semi FPU, the Thunder Hawk facility also incorporates the latest industry-accepted metocean…
SBM Atlantia
SBM Atlantia, Inc. supplies the energy industry with quality, experience, and innovation in floating production, drilling, engineering, and strategic investment solutions. Based in Houston, Texas, SBM Atlantia is a subsidiary of the SBM Offshore Group.