Offshore petroleum exploration and production relies upon specialized port facilities worldwide as the industry operates much differently than general maritime trade and has specific needs to operate efficiently. This presentation describes the channel requirements, and the port infrastructure necessary to facilitate offshore petroleum exploration and production. Within the U.S., several Gulf of Mexico ports have developed in tandem with the offshore petroleum industry to facilitate its needs. As offshore petroleum development expands in South America and Africa, there will be a need for nearby ports with the appropriate facilities
The offshore petroleum industry needs ports that are capable of servicing supply vessels and loading significant quantities of pipe and other supplies and inspecting, repairing and refurbishing rigs and platforms. Servicing offshore rigs and platforms is a volatile, yet profitable, segment of the shipbuilding industry. Ports must have channels at least 11 meters deep to service most semi-submersible rigs and drill ships. Shipyards servicing rigs and platforms require large investments in facilities such as dry docks, cranes and other shipyard equipment, as well as a well-trained workforce. Offshore supply vessels (OSVs) do not need the deep and wide channels necessary for servicing offshore rigs and platforms. The operators of OSVs prefer to minimize transit times by using facilities that are as close to offshore platforms as possible.
The offshore petroleum exploration industry has undergone significant change since the first offshore petroleum exploration platforms were fabricated in the 1950s. Over the past twenty years offshore petroleum exploration has moved further offshore into deeper water, which requires the use of large semi-submersible platforms or drill ships. Also, the newer OSVs are larger, and have deeper design drafts, than previous generations of offshore supply vessels. Newer vessels are more technologically complex and more expensive, and therefore some owners have implemented under keel clearance requirements of one meter for these vessels. Although technology now allows for offshore exploration and production to proceed with minimal near shore support, there are additional costs to doing so. Also, having a nearby port with facilities to support the offshore petroleum industry improves emergency response to spills and storm events.
Offshore petroleum ports also require a significant landside infrastructure to provide water, fuel, drilling fluids, deck equipment, and bunker supplies to offshore rigs and platforms. Offshore supply vessels are designed to efficiently transport these items offshore. Ports that support offshore supply operations must have conveyances for efficiently obtaining these cargos: channels and docks deep enough for cargo ships, a canal link to allow barge traffic, pipelines, or an efficient highway or rail connection. A significant amount of research on the economics of offshore petroleum rig and platform servicing and the economics offshore supply vessels fleets has been published. This presentation and paper describe the channels and facilities necessary to serve offshore petroleum exploration and production.