A Comparative Hydrodynamic Analysis for CS50 MK II and Traditional Semisubmersible in the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Due to the discovery and extraction of large amounts of gas by neighboring countries India and Myanmar in the offshore area, Bangladesh, with similar geology in the Bay of Bengal, should make a rapid move to boost its offshore oil and gas exploration in order to strengthen its economy. In shallow waters, fixed structures are preferred for oil and gas extraction. However, in deep waters, fixed structures are not feasible, making floating semisubmersibles the most effective solution for oil and gas extraction. This study presents a numerical analysis of the motion responses of moored semisubmersibles in the Bay of Bengal, comparing the CS50 MK II – a highly efficient and widely adopted design - with a traditional four-column semisubmersible. Both frequency domain and time domain analyses were performed, incorporating specific wave characteristics and current conditions at the study location. While there is no definitive conclusion on which design performs better, this work may provide a foundational understanding, guiding the ongoing improvement and innovation in semisubmersible platform design and deployment in the Bay of Bengal.