Resumen

CAMPOS, Dante et al. Structural Safety of Oil Jack-Up Rigs in Operation. Ing. invest. y tecnol. [online]. 2017, vol.18, n.1, pp.1-16. ISSN 2594-0732.

Algorithms and calculations are derived to define the target safety level and real safety level for an independent legs offshore jack-up platform before meteorological and oceanographic hazards in a specific location. The risk model helps to define the required safety level which is defined by the annual optimal reliability index, the reserve strength ratio (RSR) and the maximum environmental loads which must survive. Furthermore, the reliability analysis allows to know the installed (real) safety level of the jack-up in terms of reliability index, for which three failure limit states are considered as follows: overturning of the platform, vertical penetration of spud-cans and horizontal sliding of the foundation. If real safety level is higher than the target safety level, then the performance of the jack-up platform is adequate; on the contrary, the jack-up platform would be under a very vulnerable situation. This work is a tool for decision making on the rent of a jack-up rig. A numerical application for two locations in the Gulf of Mexico, which considers different water depths, shows a good safety behavior of this kind of offshore units for the studied conditions.

Palabras llave : safety required; safety available; elevation the hull; Jack-up overturning; Jack-up costs.