Operations Role in the Design and Commissioning of the Ursa TLP
Authors: Gatlin M.E. 
Published: October 2008

Shell Deepwater Production Inc.'s (SDPI) tension leg platforms (TLP's) have offered unique challenges to overcome. Among these challenges is the staffing and training of operations personnel. The process used to accomplish this on Ursa TLP has enabled operations to play a unique and valuable role in the design, commissioning and start-up of the project. This paper will review Operations key roles for the design and commissioning phase of Ursa TLP.

Introduction

Historically, there has been no defined role for operations in the design, construct, commission and install phases of Deepwater TLP's. This has challenged each project organization to determine the correct role. During the early stages of Ursa TLP design, SDPI and Shell Deepwater Development Services Inc. (SDDSI) management determined from previous leanings to include operations supervision and hourly associates in the early phase of the project design. This would enable Operations to have input into the design, allowing changes to be made before drawings were sent to vendors or construction started. Ursa is Shell's fourth major TLP over a ten year span. The SDDSI group had developed processes that allowed for rapid design and construction, but SDPI was now faced with the challenge of staffing, training and involving operations in the project. This challenge was intensified by the sudden growth in the oil industry that caused a demand on personnel which had the qualifications to operate and maintain a large TLP in the (GOM).

The challenge became very clear, "How do we prepare to effectively and safely maintain the Ursa TLP in an environment of high demand and short supply?". The answer also became evident. "We must have a well defined role for Operations in the design and commissioning phase of Ursa TLP. This paper will cover in detail the role that Operations had during these phases.

Project Background

The Ursa project is a joint venture between Shell as the operator, Exxon, BP, and Conoco. The platform is located about 130 miles south of New Orleans, La. The deck area is 305 feet long by 300 feet wide by 40 feet high. The hull columns are 86 feet in diameter by 177 feet tall. The Ursa tension leg platform was installed in 12/98 at a water depth of 3950 feet of water. Bellelli built the hull in 23 months at Taranto, Italy. The deck, consisting of six primary modules, was built in 22 months in Morgan City, La. by McDermott Inc. The hull and topsides modules were towed to the Integration site in Curacao, Netherland Antilles (N.A.) starting in 09/98, the six facility modules and the drilling rig were lifted onto the hull and then integrated together in Caracas Baai, Curacao by Heerma Inc. The platform started producing oil and gas in 3/99 and is designed to handle 158,000 BPD of oil and 400 MMSCFD of gas from up to 11 TLP wells and 2 subsea wells. Though similar in layout to previous tension leg platforms, Ursa is uniquely the largest in structure, by weight and capacity to handle product.

Project Management Aspects

The location for design and commissioning of Ursa TLP added to the complexity of the operations role. The major design for the topsides and hull were being developed at One Shell Square, New Orleans, while the drilling rig, being supplied by H&P, was being designed and built at Brownsville, Texas. Operations established headquarters at SDDSI's New Orleans offices and began working with the Project Design Team under an interim organization. The first order of business was to determine Operations' role and level of involvement in each module. This was determined in a series of workshops with the Project Engineering Team.