Durability and Reliability of Current and Future Offshore Structures

As future drilling and exploration moves towards ultra deeper-waters in search of fossil fuel, as a result of man’s insatiable quest for cheap energy due to its teeming large population growth, thereby necessitating the need of durable and reliable offshore structures such as “Offshore Triceratops” amongst other offshore structure. This is due to its innovative characteristics, as it combines the major characteristics of Tension Leg Platforms (TLPs) and Spars for ultra deep water explorations. Offshore Triceratops is composed of a deck structure that seats on three (3) Buoyant Leg Structures (BLSs) linked together by ball joints which makes the structure stable and heave restrained, where pitch and roll motion is absent with minimal level of surge and sway during operation. In other words, the three (3) BLSs are anchored to the ground to ensure stability, but the ball joints are prone to the effects of corrosion, wear, barnacles etc. which in the long run hampers the performance of the ball joint and may result in the collapse of the entire structure. This book addresses the causes of ball joint failure in Offshore Triceratops using Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FEA) approach.