FEASIBILITY OF A NUCLEAR POWERED ICEBREAKING SUPPORT SHIP FOR ARCTIC DRILLING

The study reported here is an engineering step in the direction toward the next generation of ship designs. The study objective is to ascertain whether or not nuclear propulsion is warranted, in technical and economic terms, for arctic operations. Relying on Global Marine's background and interest in offshore exploration, we selected for study the two supply ships of a task force consisting of a conventionally powered drill ship engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and two support and supply ships. In the Arctic, it is felt that the drill ship should never be separated from a support vessel (hence a three-ship task force with one support vessel always on station.) To evaluate feasibility, the baseline reference ships were considered to be powered by fossil fuel burning steam generator plants. In one study case, the fossil burning boilers were selected to permit retrofit of the nuclear power plant; in another, a more efficient fossil fuel plant was assumed. In each of the three cases, one nuclear and two fossil, the two support ships are identical. It should be emphasized at the outset that this limited study is not intended to restrict consideration of the practical applications of nuclear propulsion to support of exploratory offshore drilling. Rather, we hope to show that nuclear propulsion is feasible in this application and thus open the way to other--as yet indeterminate--arctic marine uses.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at the New York Metropolitan Section Meeting of SNAME.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers

  601 Pavonia Avenue
  Jersey City, NJ  United States  07306-2907
• Authors:
  • Lebovits, M
  • Schaff, J C
• Publication Date: 1973-10-17

Media Info

• Pagination: 47 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drilling; Drilling ships; Icebreaking; Nuclear power; Offshore drilling platforms; Offshore oil industry; Operations
• Geographic Terms: Arctic Regions
• Old TRIS Terms: Arctic drilling; Arctic operations
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00053941
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 7 1974 12:00AM