Feasibility Study of an Arctic Hourglass Offshore Drilling Platform

The hourglass-shaped hull is a novel ship design developed domestically in China, characterized by its large cabin capacity, variable payload, extensive deck area, and excellent environmental adaptability. These features make it highly suitable for the construction of polar deep-water drilling platforms. This paper conducts a suitability analysis of the hourglass-shaped hull for polar drilling platform applications. First, the main parameters of a polar floating drilling unit are selected based on operational requirements and characteristics of polar drilling. Subsequently, the hull form and principal dimensions of the hourglass-shaped drilling platform are planned, and a mathematical model is established. A chain mooring system is also designed for the platform. Hydrodynamic analysis of the hourglass-shaped platform is performed under polar environmental conditions to evaluate its stability, motion performance, and mooring forces. The results are used to assess the feasibility and applicability of the hourglass-shaped hull as a polar drilling platform. Furthermore, recommendations regarding typical configurations and parameters for such platforms are provided. The findings of this study are expected to offer technical support for the design and construction of polar hourglass-shaped drilling platforms.