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How floaters respond to subsea blowouts

Journal Article · · Pet. Eng. Int.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6318823
A study of the behavior of floating drilling vessels during blowouts included: (1) a survey of actual incidents, (2) development of a computer model of a vessel in a blowout, and (3) large-scale experiments with a floating object in a bubble plume. The results disproved the common belief that a floating vessel will sink suddenly if a subsea blowout occurs below it. Actually, the average vertical support force changes very little in a blowout; in fact, a net upward force may result if the upwelling water flow overcomes the slight loss of fluid density due to bubbles. However, the currents caused by a blowout plume can make the vessel tip or oscillate.
Research Organization:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
OSTI ID:
6318823
Journal Information:
Pet. Eng. Int.; (United States), Journal Name: Pet. Eng. Int.; (United States) Vol. 56; ISSN PEEID
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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