"Houston Offshore Engineering is prepared to secure a role in Sea Lion FEED project regardless of which primary bidder wins the contract"

Houston Offshore Engineering wins contract to develop a cost-saving Tension Leg Platform solution for Premier Oil’s Sea Lion project

Houston Offshore Engineering's paired column semisubmersible design is market ready now that the firm has wrapped up basin testing. During a basin test demonstration for potential clients at the Offshore Technology Research Center on 22 April 2010, Jun Zou, HOE's manager of naval architecture, stressed the design relies on mature technology.

The hull of a traditional production semisubmersible (many of which exist today) utilizes four vertical columns arranged in a square pattern. Four horizontal pontoons connect the lower portions of the columns. Using the traditional production semisubmersible as a starting point, work by Houston Offshore Engineering revealed that the addition of one additional column per corner, in what amounts to a column pair, would yield significant benefits in the reduction of platform motions.

As the main visible component of a producing deepwater field and a costly one the floating facility may eventually give way to a wholly subsea production solution. Until the industry is ready for that, though, floating facility design firms are looking at economic ways to meet operator needs in ultra-deepwater. Jennifer Pallanich discusses solutions, challenges and trends with some industry leaders.