简介:ThispaperstudiesthecurrentavailableoptionsforfloatingproductionplatformsindevelopingdeepwateroilfieldsandthepotentialdevelopmentmodelsoffutureoilandgasexplorationintheSouthChinaSea.Adetailedreviewofcurrentdeepwaterplatformsworldwidewasperformedthroughtheexamplesofindustryprojects,andtheprosandconsofeachplatformarediscussed.Fourtypesofplatformsarecurrentlyusedforthedeepwaterdevelopment:tensionlegplatform,Spar,semi-submersibleplatform,andthefloatingproductionsystemoffloading.Amongthese,theTLPandSparcanbeusedfordrytreeapplications,andhavegainedpopularityinrecentyears.Thedrytreeapplicationenablestheextensionofthedrillingapplicationforfixedplatformsintofloatingsystems,andgreatlyreducesthecostandcomplexityofthesubseaoperation.Newlybuiltwettreesemi-submersibleproductionplatformsforultradeepwaterarealsogettingtheirapplication,mainlyduetothemuchneededpayloadfordeepwatermakingtheconversionoftheolddrillingsemi-submersibleplatformsimpossible.Theseplatformshavebeenusedindifferentfieldsaroundtheworldfordifferentenvironments;eachhasitsownadvantagesanddisadvantages.Therearemanychallengeswiththesuccessfuluseofthesefloatingplatforms.Alotoflessonshavebeenlearnedandextensiveexperienceaccumulatedthroughthemanyprojectapplications.Keytechnologiesarebeingreviewedforthesuccessfuluseoffloatingplatformsforfielddevelopment,andpotentialfuturedevelopmentneedsarebeingdiscussed.SomeofthetechnologiesandexperienceofplatformapplicationscanbewellusedforthedevelopmentoftheSouthChinaSeaoilandgasfield.