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The earth is known as the "ocean planet", and more than 70% of the area is covered by the ocean. The ocean is not only the cradle of life, but also rich in various resources such as oil and gas. Currently, more than 70% of the world's proven oil and gas resources are located in the ocean.
As an important driving force for contemporary industrial and economic development, the importance of oil and gas resources is self-evident. Countries have also begun to step up the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas resources in the ocean, and drilling platforms are springing up like mushrooms after a rain, constantly appearing on the sea surface.
But the ocean is so deep, how did these drilling platforms get into the sea? How big a storm can they withstand? How does it work?
How to fix offshore drilling platforms
Friends who live by the sea must be very familiar with how big the wind and waves are on the seaside.
For offshore drilling platforms, they not only have to face strong winds from the ocean, but also various impacts caused by ocean currents and waves. Therefore, fixation has become the first problem to be faced when setting up offshore drilling platform .
For safety and stability considerations, there are currently two main ways of fixing offshore drilling platforms, namely fixed and mobile, and mobile includes two types, namely semi-submersible and lifting.
(1) Fixed drilling platform
First of all, let’s look at the fixed drilling platform. Looking at its name, we can also roughly guess the important fixing method, that is, the entire platform is fixed on the continental shelf of the seabed in some way, and then the corresponding mining work can be started.
This is also true. The engineering and construction team will stabilize the pipe frame structure and lock it firmly somewhere on the seabed, locking the entire platform at sea. The connection method
can ensure the stability of the entire platform within a certain period of time. It is very strong and can fully meet the platform's demand for mining at a certain point.
However, the ocean environment is ever-changing. Artificial fixation can achieve a solid and stable effect in a short time. However, over time, it will still be damaged by wind and waves. Under stable damage, the drilling platform will not be able to perform corresponding work.
Therefore, considering the cost, this fixing method generally limits the water depth to about 20 meters and will not exceed 90 meters. The scope of application has certain limitations.
Compared with fixed, mobile drilling platforms are more flexible, especially semi-submersibles, which can go deep into 1,000 meters of sea water. They are undoubtedly the best choice for drilling platforms that require deep-sea operations.
(2) Elevating drilling platform
elevating drilling platform, the main components include three parts: leg, elevator and platform. This kind of platform can be lifted up and down through the cooperation of the elevator and the pile legs. Therefore, it is widely praised in some drilling operations that require regional multi-point drilling.
During the working process, the platform is raised to a safe height by the elevator, and then the pile legs are continued to be preloaded and fixed. Under this operation, the pile legs are like the root system of the plant, firmly grasping themselves on the seabed, ensuring the stability of the platform. Under such operation, the platform can easily withstand the impact of waves and sea breeze, and complete mining tasks safely and orderly.
After completing the exploration and mining work in a specific area, the platform will retract its legs, and then drag the entire platform to another area through a tugboat, and repeat the same action for mining.
From its working principle, we can find that the lifting drilling platform relies very much on the legs, so its drilling depth and application range are limited by the length of the legs.
Compared with fixed pipeline structures, the currently internationally accepted leg length reaches 120 meters, which is highly applicable to drilling work in the continental shelf area within 200 meters.
(3) Semi-submersible drilling platform
Semi-submersible drilling platform can be said to be the most widely used drilling platform fixation method at present. It mainly consists of a working platform, two lower hulls and support columns. During the working process of
, the lower hull will completely enter the water body, and the platform will be controlled through the anchor chain and the power system. Since the main control system of the entire platform is located in the lower hull, it can effectively resist pitch and roll at sea.
During the process, even if the platform drifts due to the influence of external forces, the platform can be pulled back to its original predetermined position by virtue of the balancing power device.
This fixing method abandons the previous two methods that rely on piles or chains to lock the position. Therefore, its working water depth can reach more than 1,000 meters, making it the first choice for deep-sea drilling projects in various countries.
my country's drilling platform technology
Oil drilling platforms have become the main way for countries to develop seabed oil resources, and our country is no exception. So what is my country's drilling platform technology like?
Compared with developed countries, my country's oil industry started late. In the 1950s, under the call of the government, countless oil workers came one after another and made great contributions to the development of China's oil industry.
In 1963, after geological exploration of the sea area around Hainan Island, it was discovered that the South China Sea area of my country contains rich oil and gas resources. It was decided to build an offshore oil platform, and my country's oil industry also opened a new chapter.
From the pontoon-type drilling platform in the 1960s to the first semi-submersible drilling platform in 1981. Our country's petroleum industry has achieved amazing results in just a few decades.
In 2008, the world's largest bottom-mounted oil platform was officially put into use in my country's Bohai Sea, which attracted the attention of countries around the world to China's oil drilling technology. It is hard to imagine that a country that was involved in offshore oil and gas resource extraction in the early 1960s would successfully enter the forefront of oil drilling technology half a century later.
China’s development in this field will certainly not stop here. In 2011, the world's most advanced semi-submersible deep-sea drilling platform "Haiyou 981" was launched in Shanghai. Its mining depth reached an astonishing 3,000 meters, making it one of the deepest oil drilling platforms in the world at that time.
Six years later, with the discovery of flammable ice energy, there were new requirements for global drilling platform technology.
Compared with previous oil resources, flammable ice resources are mostly distributed in 1,000-meter deep sea areas, and traditional fixed or lifting types cannot meet the mining needs.
In order to exploit the proven combustible ice resources in my country's Bohai Sea region, my country developed the world's largest semi-submersible drilling platform "Blue Whale No. 1", which was officially put into use in Yanhai, Shandong in 2017.
With the development of science and technology in our country, our country is gradually becoming a powerful country in drilling platform technology. In the future, I believe that our country will achieve greater achievements in this field.
