OCS Study MMS 8!5-0002 U.S. Department of the Interior Technical Report Number I I 2 Social and Economic Studies Program Sponsor: Minerals Management Service AR??? Alaska Outer Beaufort Sea Petroleum Technology Assessment TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 112 CONTRACT NO. 14-12-0001-30154 BEAUFORT SEA PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Prepared For: MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE ALASKA OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF REGION LEASING AND ENVIRONMENT OFFICE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES UNIT Prepared By HAN-PADRON ASSOCIATES CONSULTING ENGINEERS NEW YORK, NEW YORK MARCH 1985 Document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, Virginia 22161 ..- NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its content or use thereof. i3EAUFORT SEA PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Prepared by: HAN=-PADRON ASSOCIATES CONSULTING ENGINEERS NEW YORK, NEW YORK This report was prepared under the helpful guidance of Kevin R. Banks, Minerals Management Service. Principal contributors to this report include: HAN-PADRON ASSOCIATES BEAVER DREDGING COMPANY LTD. Dennis V. Padron K.W. Hofman Edward H.Y. Han A. Bresters Mark T. Faeth Bill Paparis HARDY ASSOCIATES (1978 ) LTD. J.F. Nixon CONSULTANTS I.G. Jones !dilliam M. Sackinger Sid G. Sheps JOHN d. MCMULLEN ASSOCIATES, INC. M.D. McPherson A. Barrington BEAUFORT SEA PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. List of Figures . v List of Tables . xv Abstract . xvi i 1.0 INTRODUCTION . .* . ● ● . ● . ● . ● . ● . ● ● . ● . ● * . ● . ● 1-1 1.1 Objecti ves . 1-1 1.2 Study Area . 1-3 1.3 Procedure . 1-7 1.4 Report Content and Format . 1-13 2.0 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS . ● * ● . ● . ● ** . ● . .* ● .O ● ● . ● . .0. ● 2-1 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE EVALUATION BASIS . 3-1 3.1 Environmental Design Criteri a . 3-1 3.1.1 Ice Conditions . 3-2 3.1.2 Waves . 3-63 3.1.3 Water Depth . ● ● . 4 ● * . ● . ● . ● . e . 3-63 3.1.4 Winds . 3-64 3.1.5 Currents . 3-64 3.1.6 Tides/Storm Surge . 3-65 3.1.7 Geotechnical Conditions . 3-66 3.1.8 Geology and Geologic Hazards . 3-90 3.1.9 Meteorological Conditi ens . 3-110 3.1.10 Daylight Duration . 3-112 3.1.11 Summary of Environmental Design Criteria . 3-112 3.2 Environmental Forces on Offshore Facilities . 3-115 3.2.1 Ice Forces . 3-115 3.2.2 Wave Forces . 3--157 3.2.3 Wind Forces . 3-159 3.2.4 Current Forces . 3-159 3.2.5 Seismic Forces . 3-159 3.3 Petroleum Production Parameters . 3-160 3.3.1 Crude Oil Properties . 3-160 3.3.2 Production Characteristics . 3-161 3.4 Sand and Gravel Resources . 3-164 3.4.1 Borrow Source Location . 3-164 3.4.2 Quantity and Quality . 3-173 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont.) Paqe No. 4.0 TECHNOLOGY AND COST EVALUATION BASIS . ..eee. .e..e.e . ..e.e 4-1 4.1 Arctic Construction Techniques, Manpower Requirements and ~OS’tS . ..e...e... ..e.e. 4-2 4.1.1 Sand and Gravel Extraction and Utilization... 4-2 4.1.2 Dredges and Dredg~ng . 4-13 4.1.3 Towing Large Offshore Structures . 4-43 4.1.4 Structure Concepts and Prefabrication Techniques . 4-46 4.2 Topside Equipment, Space and Manpower Requirements and Costs . 4-52 4.2.1 Exploration Platforms . 4-52 4.2.2 Production Platforms.., . 4-56 4.3 Well Drilling Techniques and Costs . 4-68 4.3.1 Exploration Wells . ..~. 4-68 4.3.2 Platform llevelopment Wells.. e.oe...oe . ..oe. 4-70 4.3.3 Subsea Development Wells . 4-73 4.4 Ancillary Vessel Technology, Manpower Requirements and Co~ts . ..s. 4-79 4.4.1 Supply Tugs and Barges . 4-79 4.4.2 Offshore Supply and Ice Management Vessels... 4-84 4.5 Onshore Support Facility Technology, Manpower Requirements and Costs . 4-92 4.5.1 Location . 4-92 4.5.2 Facility Requirements . ee . ...e..e. 4-94 4.5*3 Manpower and Costs . 4-99 5.0 EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT . 09 a ● ** * .* .* . e e e. 00. 89 5“ 1 5.1 Existing and Proposed Platform Concepts . 5-2 5.1.1 Artificial Islands . .5-3 5.1.2 Bottom Founded Systems . .ee.ee.o...e..e. 5-19 5.1s3 Floating Systems . e . ..e...ee.. 5=61 5.2 Generalized Platform Concepts . 5-82 5.2.1 Artificial Islands * . * ● ** * 0 ● ● * * e 88 ● e * ● ● . 09 . es 5-85 5.2.2 Bottom Founded Systems . 5-92 5.2.3 Floating Systems . 5-97 5.3 Exploration Costs and Manpower Requirements . 5-103 5.3.1 costs . *....*.......**. 5-103 5.3.2 Manpower . 5-107 6.0 PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT .* . ● . * ..* . ● . .0. ● e 0 6-1 6.1 Existing and Proposed Platform Concepts . 6-2 6.1.1 Artificial Islands . 6==3 6.1.2 Bottom Founded Systems . ..-. 6-5 6.2 Generalized Platform Concepts.......,..,.. 6-=24 6.2.1 Artificial Islands . 6-25 6.2.2 Bottom Founded Systems . 6-28 6.3 Production Platform Costs and Manpower Requirements . 6-32 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont.) Paqe No. 7.0 TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT . 7-1 7.1 Marine Pipelines . 7-3 7.1.1 Environmental Factors . 7-3 7.1.2 Design . 7-5 7.1.3 Trenching Requirements . 7-1o 7.1.4 Installation Methods . 7-15 7.1.5 Shore Approach . ● . ● . ● . ● * . 7-17 7.1.6 Manpower . 7-18 7.1.7 costs* . ● .**..*.....*.* 7-18 7.1.8 Sensiti vity . 7-20 7.2 Land Pipelines . 7-23 7.2.1 Technology . * ● ● e ● . ● * * e ** . e e. * ● . ● ● . e ● 7-23 7.2.2 Manpower . 7-23 7.2.3 costs . .***.**..***?** 7-23 7.3 Offshore Loading Terminal s . 7-27 7.3.1 Selection Criteria . 7-28 7.3.2 Proposed Concepts . 7-30 7.3.3 Selected Study-Basis Concept . 7-37 7.3.4 Manpower and Costs . 7-41 7.4 Nearshore Loading Terminal s . 7-43 7.5 Arctic Tankers . 7-45 7.5.1 Selection of Tanker Size . 7-45 7.5.2 Icebreaker Tankers . 7-47 7.5.3 Submarine Tankers . 7-53 8.0 REFERENCES . ● ● . ● ● O ● ● ● ● ● ● ● . ● ** ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 0 . ● . ● 0 ● . ● ● . ● ● ● ● ● ● . ● . ● 8-1 APPENDIX - EVALUATION OF TYPICAL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS A-1 A.1 Scenario 1 . A-5 A.1.l Pipeline Transportation Alternative . A-5 A.1.2 Tanker Transportation Alternate ve . A-10 A.1.3 Selection of Alternatives . A-12 A.2 Scenario 2 . A-15 A.2.1 Pipeline Transportation Alternative . A-15 A.2.2 Tanker Transportation Alternative . A-21 A.2.3 Selection of Alternatives . ..