TWI is working with Industrial Members from the offshore oil and gas sector in a joint industry project (JIP) to investigate fatigue in mooring chains. Demand from industry has stimulated the need for test data generated under realistic conditions to gain a detailed understanding of the factors affecting fatigue performance.
Mooring chains are used for deep-water oil and gas developments, for mooring floating production storage, and offloading vessels, buoys, and spars. Larger links and higher strength materials such as R5 grade are being considered, as they can offer higher static strength. The performance of higher steel grade and large diameter chain is not well understood, however, and it is possible that the increased static strength may not result in improved fatigue performance in seawater.