Feasibility assessment of steel catenary and steel lazy wave risers for floating platforms: a review

This paper discusses the feasibility of Steel Catenary Risers (SCRs) and Steel Lazy Wave Risers (SLWRs) under conditions such as water depth, ocean currents, wind speeds, seabed conditions, vessel motion, and dynamic loads. Comparative evaluation was conducted to highlight the challenges associated with each configuration, including fatigue, slugging, vortex-induced vibrations, wave-induced fatigue, and complex sea states. SCRs are cost-effective and appropriate for shallow waters with a high susceptibility to fatigue, especially at the Touchdown Zone (TDZ) and Hang-Off Point (HOP). SLWRs wave-shaped design makes them more adaptable to deepwater and dynamic environments, but advanced designs are required to address slugging fatigue and stress concentration issues. This review provides a foundation for the selection of the riser configurations based on operating conditions. Based on parameters such as water depth, vessel motion, environmental loading, seabed conditions, and project cost constraints, a comparative assessment was proposed as a guide for the riser selection.