How to assess the risk of mooring failure in a Floating Production system

Published in 2008, the Oil and Gas UK (O&G UK) Mooring Integrity Guidance is used by much of the industry to develop and implement an effective risk management strategy.

The “risk” associated with mooring failure is a combination of consequence and likelihood of specific events.

As described by O&G UK, hazard scenarios associated with mooring component failure/degradation can be categorized as:

• Degradation of safety factor
• Latent defect causing failure
• Immediate failure of one leg
• Immediate failure of one leg with potential of sequential failure
• Sequential failure with potential drift off

Consequences of each scenario can be assessed in terms of repair cost; cost of damage to risers and other connected infrastructure; loss to reputation; and damage to personnel and the environment.

The second component of “risk”, determining the likelihood of failure or degradation, is much more difficult to quantify, especially for operators with less experience or seasoned operators working in new environments.

Welaptega has more than 20 years of experience observing and measuring mooring failure mechanisms in almost every floating production region worldwide. Together with BPP-TECH’s 20-plus years of experience in failure and risk analysis, we offer the most knowledgeable risk-based approach to inspection and engineering assessment of mooring systems.

Contact us to learn how our knowledge and experience can help your organization meet its production goals.