They are steel “monsters” built on the sea. They are all fascinating. Let's review the most impactful platforms in countries such as Mexico and the US (Gulf of Mexico), Russia and the Arctic.
Hibernia: icebergproof
Outstanding: this platform is capable of withstanding impacts from icebergs weighing one million tons and has no damage. Being located in the Canadian Arctic, it is easy for moving icebergs to reach the platform. Its design is designed not only to withstand these impacts but also to destroy icebergs. On the other hand, icebergs in the area are constantly being monitored to divert those that may approach.
The platform has the capacity to extract 150,000 barrels of oil per day from the depths of the sea. More than 180 people work on this platform and the structure has all kinds of accommodations for these people who literally live on the platform. As is often the case with this type of mega-construction, a long-term amortization is expected. Hibernia has been extracting oil since 1997 and after more than two decades, it is expected to continue operating for another 15 to 20 years until the resources in the area are exhausted.
Petronius: more than 600 meters of “height”
Petronius was for several years the tallest structure ever built by human beings. It doesn't compete with the Burj Khalifa because, of course, it's more structure than building, since it doesn't have 50% habitable, and much of the structure is under water and not on the surface.
Petronius is only about 75 meters of its structure above sea level. The rest is submerged and allows it to keep its 43,000 tons of weight stable. Located in the Gulf of Mexico about 200 kilometers off the U.S. coast, its extraction capacity is about 50,000 barrels of oil per day and 2 million cubic meters of natural gas.
Berkut: 200,000 floating tons
The Berkut platform is located in Russia and is the largest in the world. This platform weighs more than 200 thousand tons and is located on the Pacific coast of Russia. Similar to Hibernia, it had to be designed to withstand the low temperatures that occur in the area. They ensure that it withstands temperatures of -44ºC, waves of up to 16 meters and ice formations two meters thick.
Berkut is a platform with a structure based on gravity. It is anchored to the seabed and its base alone has 52,000 cubic meters of concrete. In the upper part, it is 105 meters long, 60 meters wide and 144 meters high.
