TLP Solutions

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TLP Solutions
For developing deepwater reserves, no other floating production facility
design offers the optimal motions and stability of a tension leg platform
(TLP). Vertically moored using engineered tubular steel tendons and
complemented by a buoyant hull, TLPs exhibit virtually no heave, roll,
or pitch, making the system suitable for both sub-sea and dry
tree completions.

Since 1998, SBM Offshore has delivered five such units to the deepwater
Gulf of Mexico market and continues to lead the industry in the
development of new deepwater TLP technology. SBM Offshore offers
two TLP solutions for deepwater field development:

• SeaStar® mono-column TLP

• FourStar™ four-column TLP

Technology
Creating
Value
 TLP Solutions
SeaStar mono-column TLP
®

Originally developed in the early 1990s for marginal prospects by SBM Offshore Group company
SBM Atlantia, the SeaStar® mono-column TLP has since proved to be an ideal deepwater
development facility capable handling payloads up to 11,000 tons for both wet and dry tree
applications. The design features a central, round column with three pontoons that serve as
connection points for the tendons. Five SeaStar® TLPs have been installed
to date, with the deepest unit set in water depths approaching 4,500 feet .

4 SBM Offshore I TLP

Key Features:

• Applicable for both wet and dry trees

• Capable of supporting payloads up to 11,000 tons
• Fast, economical construction in nearly any ship and fabrication yard
• Short installation phases minimize weather exposure
• Minimal platform motion maximizes facility operating uptime
• Design, analysis and testing confirmed by five installed systems

SBM Offshore I TLP 5

 TLP Solutions
SeaStar mono-column TLPs
®

Morpeth SeaStar® TLP

The Morpeth SeaStar® TLP was the world’s first new generation TLP. The facility was developed through a strategic alliance
with British-Borneo (now Agip) as a method of developing marginal deepwater reserves. The Morpeth SeaStar® was the first
TLP in the world to be classed and certified by ABS.

SBM Offshore SCOPE EPCi

Schedule Milestones
Project sanction January 1997
Platform installation August 1998
First oil October 1998

Field Facts
Location Ewing Bank, Block 921
Water depth 1,700 ft
Oil throughput 40,000 b/d
Gas throughput 50 MMscf/d
Water injection 28,000 b/d
Number of production wells 3 plus one spare, one water injection (subsea)
Production risers 4-in flexible, insulated
Export risers 12-in SCR (oil), 8-in SCR (gas)

SeaStar® TLP Specifications

Payload (deck / facilities / risers) 3,500 tons
Tendons Six 26-in
Main column dimensions 58 ft (diameter) x 112 ft (height)
Pontoon dimensions 115 ft (radius) x 25 ft (height)
Draft 91 ft
Deck dimensions 110 x 110 ft (two levels)

6 SBM Offshore I TLP

Allegheny SeaStar® TLP
As construction of the Morpeth SeaStar® TLP neared completion, fabrication began on the second SeaStar® TLP for the
Allegheny field. The field was initially expected to produce approximately 30,000 b/d of oil per day and 40 MMscf/d of gas, but
was later increased to 190 MMscf/d to process production from other area subsea tiebacks.

SBM Offshore SCOPE EPCi

Schedule Milestones
Project sanction January 1998
Platform installation June 1999
First oil August 1999

Field Facts
Location Green Canyon, Block 254
Water depth 3,300 ft
Oil throughput 30,000 b/d
Gas throughput 190 MMscf/d
Water injection 15,000 b/d
Number of production wells 5 (subsea)
Production risers Five 5-in SCRs
Export risers 12-in SCR (oil), 12-in SCR (gas)

SeaStar® TLP Specifications

Payload (deck / facilities / risers) 3,750 tons
Tendons Six 28-in
Main column dimensions 58 ft (diameter) x 112 ft (height)
Pontoon dimensions 115 ft (radius) x 25 ft (height)
Draft 91 ft
Deck dimensions 110 x 110 ft (two levels)

SBM Offshore I TLP 7

 Typhoon SeaStar® TLP
The Typhoon SeaStar® TLP established production 37 days ahead of schedule and more than five months ahead of the
industry average for similar projects, achieving “pacesetter” status within Chevron. Following damage incurred during
Hurricane Rita, the Typhoon TLP has been re-deployed as a reef in the shallow water Gulf of Mexico.

SBM Offshore SCOPE EPCi

Schedule Milestones
Project award January 2000
Platform installation May 2001
First oil July 2001

Field Facts
Location Green Canyon, Block 237
Water depth 2,100 ft
Oil throughput 40,000 b/d
Gas throughput 65 MMscf/d
Water injection 15,000 b/d
Number of production wells 4 plus three spare (subsea)
Production risers 4.5-in and 5.3-in flexible insulated
Export risers 10.75-in SCR (oil), 18-in SCR (gas)

SeaStar® TLP Specifications

Payload (deck / facilities / risers) 4,008 tons
Tendons Six 26-in
Main column dimensions 58 ft (diameter) x 130 ft (height)
Pontoon dimensions 115 ft (radius) x 25 ft (height)
Draft 109 ft
Deck dimensions 110 x 110 ft (two levels)

8 SBM Offshore I TLP

Matterhorn SeaStar® TLP
The Matterhorn hull was fabricated in only 12 months at the Keppel FELS yard in Singapore. This was the first
dry-tree SeaStar® hull and the largest one built to date, measuring more than twice the size of the previous three
SeaStar® projects.

SBM Offshore SCOPE EPCI

Schedule Milestones
Project sanction September 2001
Platform installation July 2003
First oil November 2003

Field Facts
Location Mississippi Canyon, Block 243
Water depth 2,820 ft
Oil throughput 33,000 b/d
Gas throughput 55 MMscf/d
Water injection 20,000 b/d
Number of production wells 5 spare (subsea), 7 plus 2 spare (surface)
Production risers 10 3/4-in, 9 5/8-in, 9 7/8-in
Export risers 8-in SCR (oil), 10-in SCR (gas)

SeaStar® TLP Specifications

Payload (deck / facilities / risers) 8,425 tons
Tendons Six 32-in
Main column dimensions 84 ft (diameter) x 125 ft (height)
Pontoon dimensions 179 ft (radius) x 42 ft (height)
Draft 104 ft
Deck dimensions 140 x 140 ft (three levels)

SBM Offshore I TLP 9

 Neptune SeaStar® TLP
The newest SeaStar® mono-column TLP was installed in June 2007 on BHP Billiton’s Neptune field in 4,300 ft of water,
marking the deepest SeaStar® to date. Total payload, including risers, is 8,000 tons with processing capacity of 50,000 b/d
of oil and 50 MMscf/d of gas.

SBM Offshore SCOPE EPCi

Schedule Milestones
Project award July 2005
Platform installation June 2007
First oil 2008

Field Facts
Location Green Canyon 613
Water depth 4,300 ft*
Oil throughput 50,000 b/d
Gas throughput 50 MMscf/d
Number of production wells 7 (subsea)
Production risers Two 8-in SCRs, Four 8-in SCRs (future)
Export risers 20-in SCR (oil), 12-in SCR (gas)

SeaStar® TLP Specifications

Payload (deck / facilities / risers) 8,077 tons
Tendons Six 36-in
Main column dimensions 76 ft (diameter) x 128 ft (height)
Pontoon dimensions 176 ft (radius) x 48 ft (height)
Draft 98 ft
Deck dimensions 120 x 110 ft (three levels)
* SeaStar® water depth record.

10 SBM Offshore I TLP

TLP Solutions
FourStar™ four-column TLP

Responding to a greater need for accommodating larger payloads as well as quayside integration, SBM Offshore implemented
its lessons learned from the successful design and installation of five SeaStar® units and two DeepDraft Semi® FPUs into the
next generation of deepwater production facility – the FourStar™ four-column TLP. This design can be configured for wet or dry
tree applications with a battered-column hull geometry as well as industry standard vertical columns.

Battered-column TLP
This design features a proprietary battered-column hull geometry that can support payloads up to 40,000 tons in wet or dry
tree configurations and also allows greater stability for quayside integration and towout. The FourStar™ TLP has undergone
extensive wind and wave basin model tests to further verify the design.

Vertical-column TLP
While the battered-column geometry offers significant advantages, SBM Offshore also has engineered its FourStar™ design
with industry-standard vertical columns. This provides a configuration similar to many of the larger installed TLPs, but optimized
for greater efficiency, constructability, integration, and installation.

Key Features:

• Applicable for both wet and dry trees

• Capable of supporting payloads above 40,000 tons
• Greater stability than conventional TLPs at quayside and towout
• Column geometry improves response to waves and reduces tendon costs
• Quayside deck integration eliminates risk and cost of offshore heavy lift
• Modular, stiffened plate design allows for construction in nearly any ship and fabrication yard
• Generic design through FEED detail in place
• Both wet and dry tree concepts verified through model testing in wind and wave basins

SBM Offshore I TLP 11

 TLP Solutions
FourStar™ four-column TLPs

Battered-column – Dry Tree

BASE CASE DESIGN (as model tested)

Location Gulf of Mexico
Water depth 4,300 ft
Oil throughput 100,000 b/d
Gas throughput 100 MMscf/d
Produced water 75,000 b/d
Water injection 100,000 b/d

Specifications
Payload (deck / facilities / risers) 41,500 tons
Tendons 12 x 40 in OD
Column dimensions (L x W x H) 70 ft x 50 ft x 210 ft
Pontoon dimensions (L x W x H) 310 ft x 28 ft x 40 ft
Draft 114 ft
Displacement 97,000 tons
Riser payload 10,800 tons
Deck dimensions 200 ft x 300 ft (2 levels)
Topsides equipment 14,200 tons
Deck structure 8,200 tons
Drilling package (operating) 8,300 tons (2.5 million lb hookload)

12 SBM Offshore I TLP

Battered-column – Wet Tree

BASE CASE DESIGN (as model tested)

Location Gulf of Mexico
Water depth 4,300 ft
Oil throughput 100,000 b/d
Gas throughput 100 MMscf/d

Specifications
Payload (deck / facilities / risers) 11,600 tons
Tendons 8 x 36 in OD
Column dimensions (L x W x H) 35 ft x 49 ft x 198 ft
Pontoon dimensions (L x W x H) 260 ft x 24 ft x 30 ft
Draft 102 ft
Displacement 44,200 tons
Riser payload 2,400 tons
Deck dimensions 160 ft x 210 ft – 2 levels
Topsides equipment 5,800 tons
Deck structure 3,400 tons

SBM Offshore I TLP 13

 Integration, Fabrication, and Offshore Installation

The design of the FourStar™ battered-column TLP was driven by market demand for quayside integration of hull and topsides
in order to eliminate the cost and scheduling constraints associated with an offshore heavy lift. Quayside depth limitations,
however, dictate a shallow-draft hull design that doesn’t sacrifice payload capability or vessel stability. The proprietary battered
column design solves the challenge by increasing the size of the ring pontoon in relation to the topsides, giving the hull greater
stability, both at quayside and during towout. After the TLP is installed, the battered columns improve the response of the TLP
to waves at a reduced tendon size.

After towout, the TLP hull is ballasted down with seawater and over the pre-installed tendons. After connecting to tendons, the
TLP is de-ballasted to develop pre-tension in the tendons.

14 SBM Offshore I TLP

GAP
 We gladly offer our
skills and expertise to the
service of our clients.
 Schiedam
Monaco

Houston

Kuala Lumpur

Monaco The Netherlands

24, avenue de Fontvieille P.O. Box 11, 3100 AA Schiedam

P.O. Box 199 Karel Doormanweg 66

MC 98007 Monaco CEDEX 3115 JD Schiedam

Principality of Monaco The Netherlands

Telephone +377 92 05 15 00 Telephone +31 (0) 10 2320 000

Telefax +377 92 05 85 00 Telefax +31 (0) 10 2320 101

USA Malaysia

1255 Enclave Parkway, suite 400 Block 2B – Level 9

Houston, TX 77077, USA Plaza Sentral

Telephone +1 281 848 6000 Jalan Stesen Sentral 5

Telefax +1 281 848 6100 Kuala Lumpur Sentral

50470 Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

Telephone +60 (3) 2773 53 00

Telefax +60 (3) 2773 5399

www.sbmoffshore.com
07_2008

The unique intention of this brochure is to share general information.