Rapid Deployment of an Innovative Anchor-Wire Reinforcement System for a Freestanding Wellhead Support Structure

Abstract This paper presents the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) of a first-of-its-kind, fit-for-purpose reinforcement system to temporarily qualify a lightweight Wellhead Support Structure (WSS) for freestanding operation. The requirement arose when the supporting Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) at the "B" field required to undergo mandatory drydocking, leaving the WSS, which has reached its 10-year design life, structurally unsupported. Under significant economic and schedule constraints, an innovative anchor-wire reinforcement solution was selected. The system employs a modular clamp system installed on the 36-inch conductors without hot work, an energy-dissipating catenary mooring configuration using slack chains and a load-redistribution framework to enhance overall integrity. Real-time displacement monitoring via a Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) confirmed that movements remained within allowable limits (up to 200 mm). The fast-tracked project was completed in three months with exemplary HSE performance (i.e., zero incidents and 27,852 safe person-hours). Supplemental solar-powered systems ensured ongoing safety and sustainability, offering a replicable blueprint for late-life asset challenges.