Hurricane Roxanne and a New Assessment Criteria for Bay of Campeche

摘要

Production from Bay of Campeche constitutes a significant percentage of the wealth of Mexico. One of the primary objectives of PEMEX is to assure that this production is not interrupted.In 1995 hurricanes Opal and Roxanne passed through Bay of Campeche (BOC). Opal did not cause any noticeable damage. Roxanne on the other hand was the most severe hurricane recorded in the Bay of Campeche in this century. Its anomalous behavior and the resulting extreme environmental conditions did considerable damage. PEMEX implemented a rapid repair program and was able to bring the production back to its normal levels within two months. Subsequently, PEMEX jointly with Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo (IMP), launched an extensive program to inspect, assess, and repair the facilities. Results of the initial assessments indicated that the assessment parameters as well as the metocean criteria utilized were not suitable for Bay of Campeche. A detailed risk study considering the site specific conditions and requirements was performed. Utilizing probability based risk assessment techniques a new criteria, known as the "transitory criteria" was developed. The transitory criteria was then used to re-assess the platforms and pipelines in the Southwest Marine Region of BOC.