Drawing upon ABS expertise with spar technology, Kerr-McGee is relying on ABS to class its Constitution truss spar, representing the sixth spar the bureau has classed for the operator. An ABS-classed XA1 Floating Offshore Installation, the new spar is destined for Green Canyon Block 680 in 5,000 feet of water of the Gulf of Mexico.

ocused on increased efficiency for its offshore projects, ABS has launched an integrated project team structure to facilitate the delivery of its classification services, with Kerr-McGee Corporation’s (NYSE: KMG) recently sanctioned Constitution truss spar slated as the first to benefit from the enhanced process. Destined for Green Canyon Block 680 in 5,000 feet of water, Kerr-McGee will use the Constitution spar to develop its 100-percent owned field in the Gulf of Mexico. The project development strategy, internal to ABS, is supported with a proprietary technology tool, 02E or Engineering 2000, to provide global, real-time electronic review of the customer’s drawings and improved project control. Luiz Feijo, ABS Project Manager with experience on spar developments, says ABS is eager to speed the design review process, thus facilitating on-time start-up.

“We’re collapsing the traditional matrix project organization into a more centralized, full-team effort. We’re complementing this approach with our 02E technology that will eliminate the dated ‘department-to-department’ transfer of documents and drawings to create a more streamlined environment for design review,” said Feijo.

He adds that 02E, as a global engineering management tool, links to the ABS Rules to facilitate compliance review. Intended to improve workflow and interface both within the bureau and with customers, 02E incorporates electronic design review capabilities, electronic filing, scheduling, control and overall project management capabilities.

In addition to ABS’ internal enhancement to its project review process, ABS is adding value to the Constitution project by sheer virtue of its clear understanding and extensive experience with spar deepwater technology and Kerr-McGee’s application of that technology on its five previous spars installed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Showcasing three generations of spar design, Kerr-McGee operates the “Neptune” classic spar; the Nansen, Boomvang and Gunnison truss spars; and the Red Hawk cell spar, all ABS-classed.

“Building on our knowledge of Kerr-McGee’s expectation for performance and its design criteria, we are focused on optimizing design review time while minimizing classification costs,” said Feijo.

ABS capabilities with spar technology, adds Feijo, can facilitate regulatory hurdles while significantly shortening turn-around time with agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard.

ABS-classed XA1 Floating Offshore Installation, the Constitution is similar in design to Kerr-McGee’s three previous truss spars, says Feijo.

“These new generation designs, each simplifying steel fabrication, are advancing the evolution of the spar concept and enhancing the value of deepwater fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Because fixed platforms operate in limited water depths, floating platform technology is essential to rapid deepwater development,” said Feijo.

In general, spar systems are particularly suited to deepwater Gulf of Mexico applications by providing operators with increased flexibility in terms of water depth capability, extending traditional floating technology up to 10,000 feet of water.

The Constitution hull, 98 feet in diameter and approximately 550 feet long, is being designed by Technip in Houston and will be built by Technip Rauma Offshore at its Pori yard in Finland, where the hulls for Kerr-McGee’s Neptune, Nansen, Boomvang and Gunnison spars were fabricated. The topsides design contract is with Mustang Engineering in Houston.

Constitution will produce via five dry trees and one subsea tie-back, and will have production capacity to process 40,000 barrels of oil per day and 200 million cubic feet of gas per day.

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