401

1 INTRODUCTION

An offshore platform is a large structure (floating or

fixed) which is used to house workers and machinery

needed to drill wells in the ocean bed, extract oil

and/or natural gas, process the produced fluids, and

ship or pipe them to shore. Based on the geographic

location a platform cab is fixed to the ocean floor, can

consist of an artificial island, or can be a floating

structure. The offshore platforms can be classified

based on operating water depths, and the two

classifications are shallow water offshore platforms

and deep-water offshore platforms. Also, the offshore

platforms can be classified based on their objective,

and the two classifications are drilling offshore

platforms, offshore storage platforms and

drilling/storage/offloading platforms. The shallow

water offshore platforms can be of two types: fixed

offshore platforms and floating offshore platforms.

The classification of the offshore platforms is listed in

Table 1.1. Until recently, the production economics

ensured that most of the offshore platforms were

located on the continental shelf at shallow water

depths. However, because of drying resources at the

shallow water depths and with advances technology

and increasing crude oil prices, drilling and

production in deeper waters have become both

feasible and economically viable. This has given rise

to the more interest into the deeper water platforms

[1].

Risk Assessment Approaches for Offshore Structures

M. Shouman

, N.I. Ghoneim

& M. El-Khatib

Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt

International Maritime College Oman, Falaj Al Qabail, Sultanate of Oman

Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt

ABSTRACT: Risk assessment and management was established as a scientific field some 30–40 years ago.

Principles and methods were developed for how to conceptualize, assess, and manage risk. These principles

and methods still represent largely the foundation of this field today, but many advances have been made,

linked to both the theoretical platform and practical models and procedures. The purpose of the thesis is to

perform a review of these advances, with a special focus on the fundamental ideas and thinking on which these

are based. We have looked for trends in perspectives and approaches, and we reflect on where further

development of the risk field is needed and should be encouraged. The present study is written for readers with

different types of background, not only for experts on risk.

However, there is a conflict between the cost impact and safety aspect. E&P managers as well as government

supervisor authorities are constantly faced with decisions to be made regarding of safety. In order to ensure

comparability and to set priorities application of QRA is a useful tool to justify choices made with regard to

personnel safety, environmental protection, asset damage and business reputation, it is recommended to apply

the systematic cause analysis method and develop the risk management models which contains an integral

approach toward the health, safety and environmental aspect.

http://www.transnav.eu

the International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 15

Number 2

June 2021

DOI: 10.12716/1001.15.02.18