Welaptega Marine Limited with the support of Shell UK Exploration and Production Limited and Total Oil Marine UK has developed and commissioned a system for the in situ measurement of offshore mooring chains. The chain measurement system (CMS) is deployed by ROV and functions as an optical caliper. After a series of trials and operational programs the system has proven itself to be a cost-effective and powerful analytical addition to the IRM tool arsenal for floating installations. It provides operators with opportunities to track the wear of chain moorings overtime, and to use the information to both anticipate and thereby avoid the failure of mooring systems, and to optimise logistic and cost planning related to the replacement of offshore mooring chains.

Keywords:
operation, cost savings, operational confidence, operator, subsea operation, upstream oil & gas, offshore, information, installation, mooring system
Subjects:
Offshore Facilities and Subsea Systems, Mooring systems
Copyright 1999, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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