IBC FPSO Training Course

Perth ~ November 2005

Introduction to FPSO Design and

Technology
Duncan Peace – Crondall Energy
Crondall Energy Consultants Ltd
28, City Business Centre, Hyde Street, Winchester, SO23 7TA Tel +44 (0)1962 842233
www.crondall-energy.com

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 Agenda

1. General Introduction
 Definitions
 Strengths and weaknesses
 Regional aspects
 Market situation

2. Building blocks
 Key components
 Hull selection and design
 Interface with topsides
 Station keeping
 Interface with sub-sea

3. Key technologies
 Turrets and swivels
 Different turret types
 What is going on inside a swivel?
 New developments

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 Part 1

General Introduction

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 Definitions

 FPU -Floating production unit – a general expression for all floating production units, but
sometimes also used to describe units without storage such as semi-submersible units

 FPSS – floating production semi-submersible

 FSU or FSO – Floating storage unit OR floating storage and offloading unit

 FPSO – floating production storage and offloading units

 MOPU – general term for mobile offshore production units, but may include jack-up units as
well as floating units

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 FPSS and TLP

Tension leg production facility.

Marco Polo

Semi submersible production facility.

Images courtesy of Modec/Sofec

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 FPSOs and FSUs

Floating production storage &

offloading facility

Floating storage facility

Images courtesy of Modec/Sofec

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 FPSO – Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths Weaknesses
 Economics – low hull and conversion cost can  Additional marine equipment and crew (relates
provide best development solution partly to storage) makes operating costs
relatively higher
 Mobility – Easy to move from construction site to
field – easy to relocate from field to field  Lack of drilling capability – Turret moored
solutions with drilling not yet operating –
 Insensitive to water depth – concept is relatively although concepts exist
insensitive to water depth - can operate from
~30m – 3,000 metres  Turret systems can act as a constraint on riser
numbers and sizes
 Large deck area and load capacity – mono-hull
configuration provides large deck payload  Need to use sub-sea trees and flexible risers
capacity and is relatively insensitive to additional (relatively expensive)
payload

 Storage capacity – allows export of product by

shuttle tanker – not pipeline dependent

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 Regional issues

 North Sea
 Challenging met ocean environment – drives technology innovation
 Heavily regulated
 Mature infrastructure
 Units tend to have smaller storage than in benign areas

 W. Africa
 Benign met ocean environment – benign regulatory environment
 Significant distance to market – drives higher storage capacity
 Stranded gas is a challenge – little infrastructure

 Brazil
 Moderate environment – moderately regulated
 Pioneering deepwater technology
 Established infrastructure

 SE Asia/Australasia
 Cost & schedule driven
 Benign environment; some regional climatic factors – cyclones & typhoons

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 Market position of FPSOs
 Current worldwide fleet of
TLP's
GLOBAL FORECAST 2004-2008 FPSOs numbers are
SPARS
estimated at around 110+
units working or idle units as
FPS's
at the end of 2004, plus
around 30+ under
FPSO's SOUTH EAST
development.
20
ASIA
19 10 FPSO's AUSTRALASIA  Forecasts show a further
36 100+ planned for the next 5
102
9 FPSO's AFRICA years – which may or may
22 not be realised. However,
14 1 FPSO's AMERICA 20+ units per year will be a
challenge for the industry
13 FPSO's MIDDLE EAST
 History and forecast both
FPSO's EUROPE suggests that of these
prospects; around 2/3rds will
Source: Infield Systems Ltd., Offshore Magazine (May 2004) be FPSOs;

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 Market Forecast @ November 2005

 Under Construction or with firm plans

 23 FPSOs
 7 FPSSs
 3 SPARs
 3 TLPs

 Probable or possible developments

 78 FPSOs
 5 FPSSs
 2 SPARs
 7 TLPs

The FPSO remains the numerically dominant technology for floater developments
Numbers will continue to challenge industry supply of resources

Source: OGPOD Database/CEC Analysis

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 Why are FPSOs so important?

 FPSOs have become the technology of choice for new developments in deepwater;

 Outside the GOM they are the dominant technology;

 Significant growth forecast – global fleet expected to almost double over the next 5+ years;

THE FPSO HAS GONE FROM A PERIPHERAL TECHNOLOGY IN BENIGN AREAS – TO

THE MAIN SOLUTION FOR MODERATE/DEEP OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENTS
WORLDWIDE
CHALLENGE FOR THE INDUSTRY IS HOW TO MEET THE SCALE OF THE FORECAST
INVESTMENTS.

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 Part 2

Building Blocks

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 Key components and design features

 Hull and hull (marine) systems

 Station keeping and fluid transfer

facilities

 Topsides process equipment

 Internal interfaces

 Interface with sub-sea equipment & wells

 Interface with offloading arrangements

Image IHC Caland Annual Report

In this presentation we will deal with

the first two ~ and leave the remainder
to subsequent presentations

Image Courtesy of Bluewater

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 Hulls and Hull Systems

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 Hull selection – New build or conversion

 New Build

 More flexibility in selecting key design criteria

 Schedule (design and build longer duration than conversion)
 High costs
 Often selected in robust met-ocean environments
 May become more prevalent as numbers of suitable conversion candidates decrease OR hull prices
increase
 My be preferred if conversion scope would be extensive because
• No suitable conversion candidates
• Remedial work for structure &/or marine systems extensive or high risk
• Major compliance issues

 Conversion
 Dominates the global supply of FPSOs
 Quicker and cheaper solution
 Key decisions will be around scope of conversion/upgrade/replacement

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 Hull selection -New build and conversion challenges

 New build challenges

 Schedule impact
 Yard availability
 Competition
 Design choices

 Conversion challenges
 Conversion candidate vessel (age - double v single hull)
 Scope definition
• Structural integrity
• Utilities & hull systems integrity
• Interfaces & integration of systems
• Technical standards & compliance
• Material selection and corrosion protection
 Contractor skills, experience & capacity
 Scope growth

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 Hull design - Design Features

Key Issues

 Deadweight
 Cargo (storage) capacity
 Equipment (payload) capacity

 Hull structure - Global and local strength

 Main vessel lay-out - Deck space - Location of accommodation (NB)

 Location of turret % LBP NB = Issues where scope

for choice exists with new-
Need to be considered
builds
 Hull form, fineness and sea-keeping considerations (NB)

 Bow shape, free board (forecastle & ship side) (NB)

 Green water protection

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 Hull structure

 Tank arrangements - Double sides v full double hull

 Arrangement of tank spaces (NB)

 Longitudinal bulkheads (NB)

 Integration with topsides and other interface structures

NB = Issues where scope
 Layout of other hull spaces for utilities etc. (NB) for choice exists with new-
builds

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 Hull structure - cargo tank arrangements

Double side – single Double side – double

bottom bottom

Three cargo tank

arrangement

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 Hull layout-aft accommodation

Blast wall Utilities Fwd

Helideck Accommodation Process Turret

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 Hull layout -fwd accommodation

Fwd

Utilities Process Turret Blast wall Helideck

Accommodation

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 Hull design - Hull systems and utilities

 Layout of major features (NB)

 Accommodation & TR
 Main marine systems & utilities
• Cargo & ballast & Pump room
• Main Power, emergency power,
• Fire pumps.
• HVAC,
• IG
 Other spaces and services required for auxiliary equipment and shared systems
 Vessel upper deck piping arrangements (pipe rack integration)

 Integration of hull marine and topsides systems

 Power/fuel NB = Issues where scope
 Control and safety systems for choice exists with new-
 Emergency power builds

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 Interface with Topsides equipment and systems

 Design and layout of topsides will be covered later by Simon Lowe of Maersk Contractors

 Interface issues will be covered by Gary Doyle of Crondall Energy Consultants

 However, there are a number of key issues that need to be considered by the hull design
process

 Structural integration of topsides support stools & module support structure into hull structure layout

 Consideration of required maximum topsides weight and CoG

 Layout and space considerations in the area of the vessel upper deck

 Extent of integration of hull and topsides systems

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 Station keeping

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 Station keeping - Key design Issues

 Station keeping options are:

 Mooring with a turret mooring system – allows weathervaning to prevailing met-ocean conditions
 Spread mooring – fixed – or mostly fixed orientation (some partially compliant systems)
 Dynamic positioning (rare – only two units currently operating in this mode)
 Permanent or disconnectable

 Key decision inputs will be the prevailing met-ocean conditions:

 Severity of conditions
 Nature of severe events – cyclones etc.
 Directionality of conditions (dominant direction)
 Extent to which prevailing conditions are co-linear (sea wave and swell OR sea wave and
wind/current)
 Economics (capital cost versus operating uptime)

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 Turret or Spread Mooring?

 Weather conditions, directionality & persistence

 Riser requirements (number, size and configuration)

 Permanent v disconnectable

 Offloading some spread moored systems now have separate offloading facilities

 Other factors
 Process performance and uptime
 Hull fatigue

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 Turret Moored - the Alvheim FPSO

 Vessel is based on the

Statoil/Navion multi
purpose shuttle tanker
(MST) concept
 85,300 Dwt tanker
 Double hull
 dp3 class
 120,000 bbl/day oil
production
 125,000 mmscf gas
handling

Images courtesy of APL

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 Spread mooring –the Sendje Berge

 Vessel is based on a
VLCC

 2 million bbls storage

 60,000 bpd production

 Spread mooring

Images courtesy of Bergesen

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 DP Position Keeping – FPSO Munin

 The Bluewater owned

and operated Munin has
operated in both turret
moored mode (this
image) at the Lufeng field
in China and the Xijiang
field also in China

 Vessel is based on the

Statoil/Navion multi
purpose shuttle tanker
(MST) concept
 95,500 Dwt
 Double hull
 dp2 class
 60,000 bbl/day
production

Images courtesy of Bluewater

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 Interface with sub-sea equipment

 Turret and swivel provide the main interface between the FPSO and the sub-sea system

 Swivel systems allow the transfer of:

 Production fluids from the sub-sea equipment to the vessel

 Export fluids from the vessel to the sub-sea infrastructure
 Well/sub-sea management/control fluids e.g. methanol
 Electrical signals for control and monitoring
 Electrical power for driving sub-sea/down hole equipment e.g. ESPs

 Turret provides connection to mooring lines and mechanical support for the risers and
umbilicals

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 Interface with sub-sea equipment

Images courtesy of Modec Inc. Images courtesy of Bluewater

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Sub-sea interface

Images courtesy of APL

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 Part 3

Key Technologies

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 Key Technologies

 Development of turret and swivel systems which allow n x 360 degrees rotation have been
the key technologies which have allowed FPSOs to be used in all met-ocean environments

 Turret allows vessel to weathervane – that is, to take up a position which aligns it with the
dominant forces of wave, wind and current.

 Weathervaning has the effect of minimising environmental loads on the station keeping
system, and minimises the most sensitive vessel motions – generally for a mono-hull – roll.

 This has the effect of minimising disturbance to process equipment and personnel and
maximising the facility uptime.

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 Different Turret Types

 Internal turrets

 External turrets (forward of bow - normally)

 Permanent or disconnectable

 Yoke moored

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Internal Turrets

Images courtesy of APL

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Internal Turrets

Images courtesy of APL

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Internal Turrets
Turntable Access Structure
(alternative: Deckhouse)

Swivel Stack

Turntable
(upper deck)
Turret

Casing / Moonpool
(bottom ship)
Spider

Images courtesy of Bluewater

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Internal Turrets

Casing/Moonpool

Main Roller Bearing

Turret (with riser pipes)

Lower Radial Bearing

Spider
Mooring Legs

Images courtesy of Bluewater

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Turntable- Typical Lay-out

Includes for example:

 Subsea Control Skids

 Pipe headers
 Control valves
 Pig receivers
 Pig launchers
 Installation Winch

Images courtesy of Bluewater

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 External turrets - Baobab Ivoirien FPSO

 970 m water depth

 8-leg polyester
mooring
 357,000 dwt tanker
conversion
 2.0 million bbls storage

Images courtesy of Modec/Sofec

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 External turrets- FPSO Fluminense Brazil

 800 m water depth

 357,000 dwt tanker conversion
 1.2 million bbls storage
Images courtesy of Modec/Sofec

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 External turrets - Cuulong MV9 FPSO

Images courtesy of Modec/Sofec

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 Yoke Mooring
CNOOC Bohai Bay QHD32-6 FPSO (China)

Kome Kribi FSO

w/ Tower Yoke Mooring System

 66 ft water depth
 New-build vessel
 1.0 million bbls storage
Images courtesy of Modec/Sofec

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 Disconnectable systems
SBM’s External and Internal solutions
External or Riser Turret Mooring Internal turret with disconnectable buoy

Images courtesy of SBM

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 The Riser Turret Mooring (RTM)

 Cossack Pioneer

 Location NW Shelf
Australia

 Vessel size: 152,000 Dwt

 Topsides
 115,000 bopd

Images courtesy of SBM

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 Disconnectable internal turret system
APL’s STP system

Images courtesy of APL

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 Disconnectable systems –Terra Nova
Fluid Swivel

Turret Access Manifold System

Structure
Upper Bearing
Upper Turret

Lower Turret
Connector System

Spider Buoy QC/DC Connectors

Lower Bearing

Images courtesy of Modec/Sofec

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 Swivel systems

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 Swivel systems

 Swivel systems allow the transfer of:

 Production fluids from the sub-sea equipment to the vessel

 Export fluids from the vessel to the sub-sea infrastructure
 Well/sub-sea management/control fluids e.g. methanol
 Electrical signals for control and monitoring
 Electrical power for driving sub-sea/down hole equipment e.g. ESPs

 Swivel systems allow n x 360 degrees rotation

 Swivel manufacturers are pushing back the boundaries of pressure and temperature to limit
of around:
 ~400+ barg
 ~120c

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 What is going on inside a swivel?

Images courtesy of Bluewater

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 What is going on inside a swivel?

Images courtesy of Framo

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Leadon FPSO stack

Utilities

Fluid paths

Leadon power slip ring to be

installed later when required
(4 x 1 MW)

Images courtesy of Framo

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 Swivel stack modules

Images courtesy of Bluewater

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 P37 Swivel stack

Images courtesy of Bluewater

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 New developments – the Sevan SSP

Concept

 Scaleable oil storage capacity (0.3-2

MMbbl)
 High deck load capacity
 No requirement for weathervaning,
avoiding complicated/ costly turret swivel
system
 Standard riser connections, umbilical and
power cable terminations
 Accommodates large number of risers
 Low investment for future risers

Images courtesy of Sevan Marine

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 New developments – the Sevan SSP

Piranema SSP300
construction
at Yantai Raffels
Picture Sep 23, 2005

Images courtesy of Sevan Marine

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