Minimal Facilities Platforms

Monopod wellhead platforms provide a low cost solution to developing a marginal field and are suitable for a water depth up to 20m depending on metocean conditions and typically support multiple wells.

The substructure and topsides of monopods can be installed using a jack-up rig offering significant cost and schedule advantages over traditional methods.

ICON’s existing detailed design for installing braced monopods (often using suction pile technology) offers a number of advantages to clients seeking an efficient, cost-effective method of achieving early production.

Suitable for hard seabed conditions and can be installed with or without a crane barge. Bracing to a CPP extends their application to 60m water depth, with significant vertical load capacity and negligible additional load on existing structures.

The MinnowPod wellhead platform philosophy is a shallow water solution that requires strengthened conductors that not only serve as surface casings of exploration wells where there is a high probability of success, but can also be retained for later conversion to minimal offshore structures in the event that a discovery is made.

Conductor supported wellhead platforms simply use the structural strength of the well conductors to support the platform topsides and process equipment.

The system typically uses the three or four well conductors as structural supports but also allows for more internal or external conductors with single, double or triple splitter wellheads used to maximise well count and minimise waveloading.

These wellhead platform designs represent the real core of ICON’s expertise and where we feel we can offer significant advantages to clients.

ICON’s experience in the design and installation of jacketed structures is where we differentiate ourselves from our completion.

Tall template wellhead platform structures provide a more robust solution than Conductor Supported Platforms and can be deployed in deeper waters or when larger topside capacities are required, while still maintaining a low initial CAPEX spend.

For minimal wellhead platforms where wave loading is high, the water is deep or in otherwise high fatigue environments, braced structures are often required.

In these cases ICON provides a simple well support structure, which can range from a short braced template for a structure in say 30m or a taller template supporting wells in 60m water-depth.

Adding extra well slots to existing assets provides the ability to increase production from wellhead platforms by adding new conductors to the platform.

Slot additions offer advantages over other means of slot recovery or near-platform subsea step-outs as they are not reliant on old, potentially damaged guides or conductors; and do not require expensive subsea trees, and other infrastructure.