Fill in the gaps with correct words

 

1) …….. platforms are used in shallow waters.

2) The …. are usually made of concrete or steel.

3) The platforms which simply rest on their own mass are called …..

4) The advantage of these types of fixed platforms is their good …….

5) Seastar platforms incorporate features of ……. leg platforms and …… drilling rigs.

6) Seastar plarform has a …. hull ballasted with water when drilling.

7) The tension legs are …. and …..

8) The legs' …… allows for …. motion, which lets the platform …… the loads of the sea and wind, without breaking the tension legs off.

14. Answer the questions:

1. What examples of fixed drilling units can you give?

2. What is called a fixed platform?

3. How are these fixed rigs attached to the seafloor?

4. Why don’t they have to be physically attached to the seabed?

5. How are such platforms called?

6. What is the main advantage of these rigs?

7. What waters are they used in?

8. What characteristics does Seastar platform combine?

9. What increases the stability of the platform movement from environmental loads?

10. What for are the platform legs kept under constant tension?

11. What allows the platform to withstand sea and wind loads without breaking the tension legs off?

12. Where are Seastar platforms mainly used? Why?

13. How are Tension Leg Platforms kept at the point of drilling?

14. What do tensioned flexible legs allow for?

15. What waters can these platforms operate?

 

Give a brief review of fixed drilling units, their construction, advantages and operating areas.

Floaters

 

Pronounce correctly the following words and translate them without a dictionary

process ['prəuses], variety [və'raɪətɪ], to minimize, column ['kɔləm], waterline, pontoon [pɔn'tuːn], characterize ['kærəkt(ə)raɪz], barge [bɑːʤ], hurricane ['hʌrɪkən ], ['hʌrɪkeɪn]

17. Scan the words and word combinations below and memorize them:

floating drilling rig	плавучее буровое основание, платформа
floating submersible drilling installation	плавучая погружная буровая установка
to submerse to the bottom	погружать под воду, на дно
to be rigidly connected	быть неподвижно соединенным
hostile environment	неблагоприятная среда
tow, v	буксировать
self-propelled	самоходный
ballast, v	грузить балластом, придавать устойчивость
anchor, v	ставить на якорь, закреплять
pontoon, v	понтон
structural failures	отказ элемента конструкции; поломка конструкции
dynamic positioning system	система динамического позиционирования
stabilizing columns	стабилизирующие колонны
jack-up rig	самоподъемная буровая платформа
jacking mechanism	подъемная система (самоподъемного морского основания)
anticipated wave ac­tion	ожидаемое волновое перемешивание (воды)
elevation, n	высота над уровнем моря
buoyancy, n	плавучесть; способность держаться на поверхности воды
Spar platform	платформа с цилиндрическим основанием
cables and lines	кабели и провода
drilling vessel	буровое судно
prospecting drilling	разведочное бурение
spare parts	запчасти, запасные детали
to be assigned for smth	быть предназначенным для ч-л
supply vessel	судно снабжения

 

Read and translate the texts:

Floaters

Floaters include those drilling units which are floating during the process of drilling without supporting by the sea bottom. Major problems with these units have been excessive motions leading to inefficient operations. Floating drilling rigs come in variety of shapes and sizes:

 

Floating submersible drilling installation consists of the lower hull and upper (working) site rigidly connected with the hull. From that site the process of drilling is carried out. In a working condition the lower hull is filled with water and submersed to the bottom; the higher site remains on a certain level over the water surface.

Floating semisubmersible drilling rig is towed or self-propelled to the location and partially ballasted to minimize the motions and anchored while drilling. She has a hull, consisting of pon­toons, and upper (working) site connected with each other by the stabilizing columns (that's why they are sometimes called rigs with stabilizing columns). In a working condition pontoons are submersed for 20-25 meters under water, reducing the area of operating waterline and decreasing the influence of sea waves on the platform. Semisubmersible rigs are kept at the point of drilling with the aid of anchors or by means of dynamic positioning system. Structural failures due to hostile environment and loads have been the major problems associated with these units.

The jack-up rig is characterized by a barge hull supporting the drilling equipment and legs with some type of jacking mechanism capable of elevating the hull above any anticipated wave ac­tion. Jack-up floating drilling installation has a hull, possessing sufficient buoyancy for safe transporting all the installation including equipment and supplies to the place of drilling. On the place of drilling the hull is lifted and is kept on a given elevation with the aid of special lifting mechanisms and columns standing on the sea bottom. The major worry with this type has been the movement from one location to the next.

The Spar platforms are among the largest offshore platforms or constructions in use today. The massive Spar platforms consist of a large cylinder supporting a typical fixed rig platform. The large cylinder does not extend all the way to the seabed, but instead is hold to the bottom by several big cables and lines. The large cylinder stabilizes the Spar platforms in the water, and allows for horizontal and vertical movement to absorb the force of extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes.

Drilling vessels are assigned for prospecting drilling and they are kept at the point of boring with the aid of anchors or by means of dynamic positioning system.

Supply vessels are not intended for drilling, but nowadays it's impossi­ble to imagine the offshore oil extraction without ships of this type. They are assigned for delivering the necessary equipment, spare parts, provi­sion and other supplies to the drilling installations.