Floating Production Units

[ombugge]

There is a fairly numerous type of vessels, barges and other units used for production of oil and gas around the world that doesn't have their own thread on CVF.
This consist of the following main types:

- Floating Production, Storage and Off-loading (FPSO): Most are converted tankers of various sizes, from VLCC to Handysize, but there are more and more purpose-built FPSOs in use around the world.

- Floating Storage and Off-loading (FSO): Similar, but without Processing Equipment on board. (Stabilized Crude Oil is received from other sources)

- Mobile Offshore Production Units (MOPU): Can be floating or bottom supported, usually old Drilling rigs. No storage capacity.

Of late we also have;
- Floating LNG Processing, Storage and Off-loading Units (LNG FPSO): These are large purpose-built units under construction, or being planned. To be used off Australia, among other places.

Another fairly new development is;
- Floating LNG Storage and Re-gasification Units (FSRU): This is mostly converted large LNG Carriers, fitted with a re-gasification plant and permanently moored close to shore.
They receive LNG from Gas Carriers, store it in liquid form and deliver it as Gas into the local network as and when required.

The very latest is Very Large Gas Carries (VLGC) that is also equipped with a re-gasification plant to use gas as fuel (not just boil-off) and deliver the cargo in gas form at destination.

To kick off this thread I'll present the FPSO Petrobras 58 (p-58) presently under conversion at Keppel Shipyard, Tuas, Singapore:


PS> Some such units has been featured on CVF, but under various threads.

[ombugge]

FPSO P-58 as seen at Keppel Shipyard, Tuas, Singapore, 27. July, 2011

Starting from the stern:

The propeller and rudder is still in place, but I don't know if that will still be the case once installed on location off Brazil. (Some earlier FPSO for Brasil has been towed, some have sailed under own power)

Since this FPSO is slighted to stay on location for 15-20 years without going to docking all inlets and outlets below water has to be have external flanges installed:

This so that Divers can install blanks to enable the inboard valves to be removed for inspection, repairs or replacement.

[ombugge]

View along Stbd. side with the aft Mooring Connection Gallery:


Dump pipes on Stbd. side:

These leads processed water overboard after treatment by Hydro Cyclones and/or Oily Water Separators.
(The processing equipment will only be installed once at Keppel's yard in Brasil)

Access ladder on Stbd. side:

Any tanker-men among the CVF members and guests will be able to guess the DWT of this FPSO from the Draft Marks and Load Line.

[ombugge]

Fwrd. Mooring Connection Gallery:



This FPSO will be anchored with 4 x 7 combined Chain/Composite Rope mooring legs, attached to 28 Torpedo Anchors in very deep water off Brasil.

[ombugge]

Bow view:


Port bow Mooring Connection Gallery:

[ombugge]

Riser Gallery on Port side:

I gave up counting the number of Raiser Slots available.

Superstructure, Helideck and Aft Mooring Connection Gallery:

She was in the process of being moved at time of shooting these pictures.

PS> Raisers are flexible connection hoses between the FPSO and the various manifolds and well head templates on the seabed. Some carry production fluid from the wells, others are used for gas re-injection or export, water injection and umbilicals used to control the various seabed functions. (A complex network)

[ombugge]

P-58 was not the only FPSO / FSO at the shipyard that day.

Here is an older FSO unit in for repair and/or upgrading:


Another FSO being moved around within the yard:


Yet one more FSO:

[ombugge]

Another FPSO being prepared for service in Brasil:


An FPSO with turret mooring being converted for SBM Ltd. Monaco:


Note: Every FPSO is purpose equipped for a specific Oil and Gas Field, based on the quantity of oil, gas, water and solids that is expected in the production fluid, whether re-injection, gas lift or gas export and water injection is planned on that specific field.
The mooring system to be used is dependent on the worst case environmental conditions and water depth on the specific location and whether the unit is dis-connectable, or has to stay on location in ANY condition that may be experienced there.

Sounds difficult??? No, it is mostly common sense applied.

[Plimsollmark]

Riser Gallery on Port side:
I gave up counting the number of Raiser Slots available.

Superstructure, Helideck and Aft Mooring Connection Gallery:

She was in the process of being moved at time of shooting these pictures.

PS> Raisers are flexible connection hoses between the FPSO and the various manifolds and well head templates on the seabed. Some carry production fluid from the wells, others are used for gas re-injection or export, water injection and umbilicals used to control the various seabed functions. (A complex network)

Wow, Ombugge you do get around. Great pics.
Hers are a couple of images of a sister FPSO in Brazil - P43 which I was working with today. (Co-incidentally RISER inspection.)





And as you mentioned risers - here are a couple of images taken from underwater (Apologies for the low res as these are screen grabs, just to show the risers "rising" up from the seabed to the FPSO riser bank.)





Depending on the depth the risers will actually start rising from their TDP (touch down points. )This particular FPSO is at about a 1000 metres depth, here the pipelines start rising somewhere around 200 metres off from the FPSO.

Regards

[pilotdane]

WOW! So much in this world that I did not know existed. Before this board I knew just four types of boats: cruise ships, tankers, container ships and tug boats.

[ombugge]

FPSO ASENG leaving Singapore after 18-24 months of conversion work:

Bound for Equatorial Guinea as far as I can recall.

[ombugge]

An older FPSO back for some upgrading:


This is an older Gas Tanker (LNG Carrier) being prepared for a static life as a Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit. The propeller and rudder has been remove as she will be permanently moored off West Java:


Since she will not be required to move for maybe 10-20 year all inlets and outlets through the hull is equipped to be blanked off in order to remove internal valves for inspection, or to repair damaged ones:


Extra large Sea Chest allow large amounts of water to be used to heat the liquid gas, rather than expending gas to do so:

[pilotdane]

Do converted FPSO keep the same waterline as the original ship? I assume they remove the main engines during the converson but much new equipment is also added. Do they ever have to ballast down during normal operations?

[Plimsollmark]

OK, here is the latest one in Brazil, currently alongside in Rio, the OSX1.
Ombugge you surely must have seen her around since she is from Keppel yard?



Rgds

[ombugge]

Do converted FPSO keep the same waterline as the original ship? I assume they remove the main engines during the converson but much new equipment is also added. Do they ever have to ballast down during normal operations?

I missed this post.

The load line is most likely the same, unless there is a change in hull configuration and/or the down flooding angle etc.
The Main Engine is normally left in place as it would be an enormous taskand expensive to remove it. (We are not talking about a Cat 399 or two here) If propulsion is not needed, the propeller and rudder may be removed, or just the intermediate shaft.

If you look at some of the most sophisticated FPSOs there are a few thousand tonnes of equipment put on the deck, which affect the dwt. and may require ballast to be carried if the storage tanks are near empty. (FPSOs are producing while discharge, thus NEVER "empty") Most retain some ballast capacity for that reason, or to have "double sides" for reduced risk of pollution.

PS> For a large FPSOs, with original 300,000 Dwt or more, it would take a lot of equipment on deck to make a big difference to stability in normal operation.

PPS> Yes I did see this one at Keppel Benoi for quite some time. I may even have some pictures. Reverting if found.

[Plimsollmark]

OK, here is one complete pic of P43 in Brazil -

[ombugge]

Originally the VLCC Stena Continent. Partly converted at Jurong Shipyard, Singapore in 2002/2003. Towed from here in April, 2003 by two tugs. (Cannot recall which)
Processing Equipment added at Maua' Jurong's Shipyard in Brasil. Originally slated for the Barracuda Field. (May well be still there?)

PS> 18-point Spread Mooring, using 114 mm. diam. chains as termination on vessel side, through Fair Leads supplied by Pusnes, Norway.

[Plimsollmark]

Originally the VLCC Stena Continent. Partly converted at Jurong Shipyard, Singapore in 2002/2003. Towed from here in April, 2003 by two tugs. (Cannot recall which)
Processing Equipment added at Maua' Jurong's Shipyard in Brasil. Originally slated for the Barracuda Field. (May well be still there?)

PS> 18-point Spread Mooring, using 114 mm. diam. chains as termination on vessel side, through Fair Leads supplied by Pusnes, Norway.

Superbly accurate Ombugge, she still is in Barracuda, as are we for most part of the last 3 weeks with our ROV carrying out what the experts here call "tok tok" inspection!

[Plimsollmark]

Originally the VLCC Stena Continent. Partly converted at Jurong Shipyard, Singapore in 2002/2003. Towed from here in April, 2003 by two tugs. (Cannot recall which)
Processing Equipment added at Maua' Jurong's Shipyard in Brasil. Originally slated for the Barracuda Field. (May well be still there?)

PS> 18-point Spread Mooring, using 114 mm. diam. chains as termination on vessel side, through Fair Leads supplied by Pusnes, Norway.

Superbly accurate Ombugge, she still is in Barracuda, as are we for most part of the last 3 weeks with our ROV carrying out what the experts here call "tok tok" inspection!

[ombugge]

Superbly accurate Ombugge, she still is in Barracuda, as are we for most part of the last 3 weeks with our ROV carrying out what the experts here call "tok tok" inspection!

I had an advantage here. I did some work around the mooring system of this unit before she left Singapore. All I had to do was to look up the Reports.

Here is another (ex) Petrobras production unit, the P-24:

As seen off Batam on a wet and gray day earlier this week.

She has had a quite "interesting" life; Built as the Drilling Rig "Penrod 72" in Brownsville, Tx. in 1975. Converted in 1987 and used as the first Floating Production Platform in the Gulf of Mexico. (Green Canyon Block 29)

Further upgraded in 1992 and became the "Petrobras XXIV" used on the Albacore Field in the Campos Basin off Brasil.

In 2005 she was replaced and sold on to present owners, who named her "Molly Brown". They towed her to Singapore and has tried to find some use for her ever since.

All this time she has been in layup in Johor and later in Batam, slowly rusting away, so now the last bit of the name is very fitting.