Other Forms of Repurposing

This chapter explores six specific applications when repurposing oil rigs into specialized vessels. The proposals are premised on nearshore/offshore prototypes which improved by design, the challenging issues of inefficient land plot requirements (e.g. prisons, funeral facilities, resorts) or unsustainable business models (Olympic stadia) or which improved industrial workflow (LNG bunkering). This leads to a streamlining of processes saving time and land resources. A jack-up funeral complex integrates wake halls, chapels, funeral parlors and crematorium in a single nearshore facility. A prison on a semi-submersible can be a solution to unsanitary conditions of many prisons worldwide that are operating in severe overcapacity. A fleet of semi-submersibles are converted into floating stadia capable of staging international sporting competitions involving games, courts and fields and which can be mobilized and reused at sea. Jack-up oil rigs arranged radially to integrate LNG bunkering with wharves in a nearshore facility can reduce time taken for loading and unloading cargo separately from time needed for bunkering. With jack-up rigs, recreational parks requiring large amounts of water can be placed nearshore so as to free up coastal land for strategic and essential developments. The propostion of offshore resort to mitigate environmental impact is explored with a semi-submersible rig and a jack-up rig of 5,000 m² deck area, to accommodate the number of hotel rooms and a range of facilities recommended in the hospitality industry.