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ABS’ expertise in the classification of jackup rigs has earned the society the majority of the jackups currently on order. Recently a series of papers and presentations were given by the offshore engineering staff on stability and other jackup issues.

A paper by J. Andrew Breuer, Chief Engineer, Offshore Engineering Department, was presented to the Ninth International Conference on Stability of Ships and Ocean Vehicles in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil titled Orthogonal Tipping In Conventional Offshore Stability Evaluations. The paper discusses the limitations of conventional stability analysis procedures particularly when applied to offshore structures. The resulting phenomenon can be orthogonal tipping.

Two presentations were made at the recent International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Conference in Houston, Texas. Enhanced Integrity Management for the Aging Rig Fleet by Chris Serratella Director, Corporate Operational Safety & Evaluation, discusses the age of the drilling rig fleet and hull survey guidelines for the units.

Jack-ups in Transit – A Long Road To Safety: Are We There Yet? was presented by Joseph H Rousseau, Manager of Offshore Engineering, ABS Americas. Highlights include recent Rule and regulatory changes for jackups, plus specific jackup issues such as watertight envelope and watertight subdivision.