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Petrobras 36

Coordinates: 22°03′42″S 39°33′15″W / 22.06167°S 39.55417°W / -22.06167; -39.55417
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The semisub platform listing severely prior to its sinking in March 2001
History
Name
  • Petrobras 36 (P-36) (2000–2001)
  • Spirit of Columbus (1994–2000)
OwnerSocietà Armamento Navi Appoggio
OperatorPetrobras (P-36)
Builder
CostUS$500 million (conversion to P-36)
Out of service20 March 2001
IdentificationIMO number: 8916566
FateSunk
General characteristics
Class and type
  • Spirit of Columbus: RINA
  • P-36: RINA (hull); ABS (topsides)
Type
  • Spirit of Columbus: Semi-sub drilling rig and production platform
  • P-36: Semi-sub production platform, self-propelled
Tonnage34,481 GT (P-36)
Length112.78 m
Beam77.72
Height120 m (42.67 m to main deck)
Capacity
  • Spirit of Columbus:
    • Oil production: 100,000 bbl/d (16,000 m3/d)
    • Gas production: 200,000 m3/d (7,100,000 cu ft/d)
  • P-36:
    • Oil production: 180,000 bbl/d (29,000 m3/d)
    • Gas production: 7,200,000 m3/d (250,000,000 cu ft/d)

Petrobras 36 (P-36) was a semi-submersible oil platform. Prior to its sinking on 20 March 2001, it was the largest in the world.[1] It was owned by Petrobras,[2] a semi-public Brazilian oil company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro.[3][4]

The vessel was built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy in 1994 as the drilling rig Spirit of Columbus. It was owned by Società Armamento Navi Appoggio S.p.A.[citation needed] The rig was converted into a 31,400-tonnes oil production platform by Davie Shipbuilding in Lévis, Quebec.[5][6] The cost of the platform conversion was over US$500 million[7] (currently over US$888 million[8]).

P-36 was operating for Petrobras on the Roncador oil field, 150 kilometres (90 mi) off the Brazilian coast, producing about 84,000 barrels (13,400 m3) of crude and 45,000,000 cu ft (1,300,000 cubic metres) of gas per day.[6][9]

Accident

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In the early hours of 15 March 2001 there were two explosions in the aft starboard column, at or around the emergency drain tank.[10] The first explosion was caused by an overpressure event, the second by the ignition of leaking hydrocarbon vapors.[11] At the time there were 175 people on the rig, of which 85 crew members.[12] Eleven people, all Petrobras employees, were killed in the second explosion.[13] Following the explosions, the affected column became flooded.[14] The rig developed a list, which by 8:15 am was about 20°. This was sufficient to allow further down-flooding through openings to the chain locker.[15]

Marine salvage teams tried over the weekend to save the platform by pumping nitrogen and compressed air into the tanks to expel the water, but they abandoned the rig due to bad weather.[16]

The platform sank on 20 March in 1,200 m (3,940 ft) of water with an estimated 1,500 tonnes (1,700 short tons) of crude oil remaining on board.[citation needed]

Aftermath

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P-36 was replaced by FPSO Brasil, a ship-shaped floating platform leased from SBM Offshore. The FPSO started its lease contract with Petrobras in December 2002. It was demobilized in 2014. In 2007, the semi-submersible platform P-52, built in Singapore and Brazil, came into operation to further supplement production.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fachetti et al. (2000), p. 7.
  2. ^ FABIG (2001).
  3. ^ Hilyard (2012), p. 229.
  4. ^ Petrobras (n.d.).
  5. ^ Petterson (2008), p. 4–5.
  6. ^ a b Laverty Wilson (2002), p. 9.
  7. ^ Petterson (2008), p. 4.
  8. ^ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (n.d.).
  9. ^ Atherton & Gil (2008), p. 160.
  10. ^ ANP–DPC Commission of Investigation (2001), p. 5.
  11. ^ ANP–DPC Commission of Investigation (2001), pp. 9–10.
  12. ^ ANP–DPC Commission of Investigation (2001), p. 6.
  13. ^ ANP–DPC Commission of Investigation (2001), p. 10.
  14. ^ ANP–DPC Commission of Investigation (2001), p. 11.
  15. ^ ANP–DPC Commission of Investigation (2001), p. 13.
  16. ^ Gibb, Tom (21 March 2001). "Post mortem into rig disaster begins". BBC.

Sources

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22°03′42″S 39°33′15″W / 22.06167°S 39.55417°W / -22.06167; -39.55417

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