Due to the increasing cost of offshore oil and gas fields development there is a world tendency of using unmanned technologies. In order to reduce the cost of offshore structures construction and operation technologies involving using both subsea production systems and remote operated fixed platforms have been successfully applied. Choosing the most optimal development option in terms of technological and economic perspective, application of above-water offshore structures is much more preferable given that at present the costs for subsea development options and conventional offshore structures are comparable. Further reduction of offshore development costs becomes possible with unmanned offshore structures. The article covers global experience of using remote operated unmanned platforms in different regions of the world, provides classification of such structures which differ in terms of their key parameters such as: presence of a helideck, dynamic equipment, coiled tubing workover unit, firewater system, well-logging unit. The authors note the lack of experience in the construction and operation of unmanned offshore structures in Russia, as well as the insufficient existing regulatory documents governing design aspects. The article highlights the experience of developing the first national GOST R standard on the basis of the modified international ISO standard, which introduces for the first time a classification of unmanned offshore structures in terms of the personnel safety category and the category of consequences degree for potential risks arising from the operation of offshore structures.
References
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