Subsea Systems
We use the latest design methodologies to develop the optimum well structure to meet the strength and fatigue requirements of the system’s operating environment. Once in service, our holistic approach helps address any developing integrity concerns efficiently, and cost effectively.
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Director, UK
Alex is a Chartered Engineer with a first-class master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bath and has been working for 2H Offshore since 2004. Alex has significant experience in the design and analysis of drilling and production systems for deepwater and shallow water developments, most notably as lead analysis engineer for BP’s Block 31 PSVM freestanding hybrid riser design project. Alex has taken on a number of managerial roles at 2H, including technical manager of the Norwich office, where he was responsible for integrating UWG’s shallow water riser and conductor engineering team and business into 2H. He has been a director in our London office since 2011.
Senior Engineer
Elaine is a senior engineer in 2H’s Houston office. She holds a master’s degree in Structural Engineering from Heriot Watt University and has 12 years’ experience in the energy industry. Elaine is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers. Her experience focuses on a range of different riser designs, shallow water conductor systems and subsea structural analysis. Elaine started her career with 2H in Aberdeen before relocating to 2H Houston in 2019 to broaden her experience to different riser systems. She has held numerous project management and technical roles on a variety of projects from concept through to detailed design, including subsea wellhead fatigue mitigation, shallow water platform conductor integrity management and seawater intake riser design.
Subsea wells require detailed engineering and analysis to ensure wellhead, conductor, surface casing and connector components that are robust enough to meet the strength and fatigue requirements of the operating environment are selected and placed appropriately in the well design. The well’s internal architecture, environmental conditions, water depth, rig and types of operation are all considered during development of the final design.
The use of new generation vessels with large BOPs, longer drilling programmes, and the need to maximise recovery by extending the service life of older wells, present significant design challenges. Fatigue has become an important design consideration that may require changes to conventional casing and conductor joint arrangements, improved fabrication and the use of fatigue enhanced connectors in the conductor and surface casing.
We have completed over 500 subsea wellhead and conductor design projects in water depths ranging from 50m to over 3,000m.
The conductor of a fixed platform or jack-up well often receives little design attention in comparison to the subsurface parts of the well or the platform support structure. The conductor is subject to bending loads from the wave and current, and fatigue loading from piling, waves and VIV in addition to supporting the weights of internal casings. The effective weights of the internal casings can fluctuate significantly during well operations due to thermal effects. This can have a significant effect on conductor response.
Our systems, experience and understanding of jack-up and rig-based operations allow us to provide an unrivalled platform well engineering service. We have extensive experience in platform well engineering dealing with everything from standard wells to complex HPHT developments, splitter wells, deeper water, harsh environments or re-entry and workover of corroded or partially failed wells.
With many older shallow water developments now exceeding their design lives, conductors are receiving added attention to justify life extension of the wells. We help operators of older facilities define inspection requirements, conduct structural fitness for purpose assessments and design methods of repair where needed. Our expertise in considering the whole well as a structural system ensures the most cost-effective mitigations are identified for specific wells.
Director, UK
Alex is a Chartered Engineer with a first-class master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bath and has been working for 2H Offshore since 2004. Alex has significant experience in the design and analysis of drilling and production systems for deepwater and shallow water developments, most notably as lead analysis engineer for BP’s Block 31 PSVM freestanding hybrid riser design project. Alex has taken on a number of managerial roles at 2H, including technical manager of the Norwich office, where he was responsible for integrating UWG’s shallow water riser and conductor engineering team and business into 2H. He has been a director in our London office since 2011.
Senior Engineer
Elaine is a senior engineer in 2H’s Houston office. She holds a master’s degree in Structural Engineering from Heriot Watt University and has 12 years’ experience in the energy industry. Elaine is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers. Her experience focuses on a range of different riser designs, shallow water conductor systems and subsea structural analysis. Elaine started her career with 2H in Aberdeen before relocating to 2H Houston in 2019 to broaden her experience to different riser systems. She has held numerous project management and technical roles on a variety of projects from concept through to detailed design, including subsea wellhead fatigue mitigation, shallow water platform conductor integrity management and seawater intake riser design.
