Considering offshore production platforms

• Published in: European journal of operational research 1994-01, Vol.72 (1), p.204-206
• Main Author: Rosing, K.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fixed structures and platforms; Fuels; Offshore; Offshore drilling and production; Offshore oil wells; Oil fields; Operations research; Petroleum industry; Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands; Studies
• ISSN: 0377-2217; 1872-6860
• DOI: 10.1016/0377-2217(94)90342-5

In a comment, the view is expressed that Hansen, de Luna Pedrosa Filho, and Ribeiro (1992) presented a most significant piece of work and one which, by including the problem of sizing of standard units in addition to the location of oil platforms, emulates within its mathematical structure the some of the most modern of offshore oil technology. However, there are several points concerning offshore oil fields which deserve more attention than they have been able to focus on in an article aimed principally at elucidating the model. It is argued that oil fields are irregular in form and thickness. The set of wells to be drilled cannot be determined prior to the determination of the location of the platform but must be done simultaneously. Also, the cost of drilling a well is not adequately represented by the cost implied by its separation in location (in a 3-dimensional space) of its top and bottom but also by the curved path which it follows with costs per meter also increasing with the curvature.