FPSO DESIGN- AN INTRODUCTION

Kamal K. Ravi
Engineering Projects& System Manager
PTSC M&C
Introduction to Floating
Production Systems
Chapter 1
 Floating Production Systems
• Classified as:
 Semi-submersible and tension leg platforms
- Little or no storage capacity
 Spars
- Limited storage capacities
 FPSO – primarily mono-hull vessel
Typical View of an FPSO
Water Depth and Sea States
• Water depths • Sea states
 Shallow  Benign
-Less than 50m -Hs 0 to 4.0m
 Moderate  Medium
-Down to 300m
-Hs 4.0 to 9.0m
 Deep
-Down to 1500m  Severe
 Ultra Deep -Hs 9.0 to 14.0m+
-Beyond 1500m
 Hs=significant wave
height
FPS Application Chart
 History of the FPSO
• 1977 First FPSO- • During 1980s
Castellon Field  Moderate depths
 Offshore Spain  Benign waters
 Mooring –SALM  Cost effective
 Water dept 117m solution
- For marginal fields
 Proven safety record
 History of the FPSO
• During 1990s • Early 21st Century
- Deeper waters -Ultra deep waters
- Rougher seas -Large numbers of risers
- Black oil reservoirs -Very high throughputs
-Storage – VLCC Class
-Newly built vessels
-Handle gas liquids
 The Pros and Cons
• Advantages • Disadvantages
- Utilises existing ships - No drilling
- Faster development - Subsea wells only
- Reduced upfront costs - Rushed design can lead
to mistake
- Early cash flow
- Weather dependency
- Re-usable
- Production
- Higher residual value
- Offtake
- Lower abandonment
costs
 What is an FPSO?
• F = Floating – it looks like a ship – but is it?
• P = Production - Produces and processes a
reservoir fluid
• S = Storage – Vessel’s cargo tanks store
product crude
• O = offtake – Crude is offloaded to shuttle
tanker
• That is the Simple Look
 Mooring the FPSO
• An FPSO is essentially a ship permanently moored on
the open ocean
• Stresses imposed on the hull need to be minimised
• Ship has to survive for life of project
• Weathervaning is a natural effect which minimises
stressess
• Allows ship to align itself with the wind, wave and
current
• Turret mooring allows weathervaning
 Cargo Handling on FPSO
• An FPSO is a crude oil tanker
• Two issues are critically important
 Loading and offloading the cargo
- Creates stresses on hull- have to be minimised
-Achieved by load monitoring and ballast system
 Storing the product crude safely
- Cargo tank atmosphere potentially explosive
- Tanks must remain “inerted” at all times
- Achieved by use of inert gas system (IGS)
 Production and Processing on FPSO
• Two issues important
 Sustaining and optimising reservoir productivity
- Sustaining reservoir pressure
- Optimising reservoir flow
- Assurance of flow from reservoir to processign centre
 Safe, efficient and effective processing
- Maximising liquids recovery
- Disposal of gas safety and economically
- Treatment and disposal of produced water
- Efficient use of chemicals to aid both production and
processing
 FPSO Design Issues
• Main Technical Questions
 Selection of the mooring system
- Predominantly turret mooring, but spread mooring
and yoke mooring also used
 Location of the accommodation block
- Conventionally at aft end of ship
- New build vessels may have forward
accommodation
 Process plant layout, based on safety and operability
 Turret Mooring System
• Mooring turret is unique FPSO feature
• Serves three purposes:
Anchors vessel at geo-stationary position
 Allows vessel to weathervane
 Provides conduit for fluid transfer
- Subsea reservoir infrastructure to
topside processing plant
 Turret Designs
Turret designs based on location
- Either external to the hull of the vessel
- Or internally fitted inside the hull
Choice based on:
- Geographical location
* Sea states, strom systems, ice, etc
- Water depth
- Number of fluid transfer risers
External Turret Design
Spread Mooring
Buoy Yoke Mooring
Jacket Soft Yoke Mooring
Jacket Soft Yoke Mooring
Internal Turret Design (Tentech)
Detail of Internal Turret
Large Internal Turret
Disconnectable External Turret
Disconnectable Internal Turret
 Location of Accommodation
• Largely influenced by position of turret
• Research shows that turret should be on
further aft than 19% of length of vessel
• Achieves optimal operational efficiency
- Maximises weathervaning
- Minimises “pitching” effect
• May exlude choice in placement of
accommodation
 Accommodation in Aft Location
• Normal solution for ship conversions
• Allows for optimal positioning of turret
• Stern abandonment is safest option
• Crew downwind of fire / smoke / flame
 Additional engineering may be needed
- To protect “safe refuge’
- To allow for helicopter operations
- To minimise flare radiation effects
Tantawan Explorer Aft
Accommodation
FPSO Firenze – Italy Aft
Accommodation
 Accommodation in in Forward
Location
• Most applicable for new build FPSOs
• Turret is aft of accommodation
• Crew upwind of fire / smoke / flame
• Forward abandonment may be difficult in
rough weather
• Motion effects may make living conditions
uncomfortable for crew
Accommodation – Forward FPSO
Norne
Accommodation – Forward FPSO
Asgard A
Number of FPSOs Built
 Process Plant Layout
• Layout based on
-Safety
-Operability
• Most hazardous process areas
-Furthest from accommodation (TSR)
• Critical Level control
-Close to midships
Distribution of FPSOs Worldwide (2008)
 Recent FPSO Developments (2000-2010)
• West Africa
- Serpentina, Mystras, Sanha, Kizomba,AKPO
- USAN
• Brazil
- Espadarte, Brasil
• Australasia
- Northern Endeavour, Venture 11
• South East Asia
- Su Tu Den
• Canada
- Terra Nova
FPSO Systems

Chapter 2
 FPSO Building Blocks
• Main systems for FPSO are:
- Hull type
- Oil storage
- Moorings
- Fluid transfer
- Topsides process plant
- Offtake and export
- Accommodation
 Hull Types
• Classic hull type for FPSO:
- Mono-hull, crude carrier classification
- Segregated ballast
- Mono-hull meaning single steel shell
- Double- hull not standard requirement
- Exceptions – GoM, NWS Australia
• Hull can be either:
- Existing carrier- suitable for conversion
- Newly built specifically for FPSO service
Tanker Conversion
Conversion Installing Topsides Modules
New Built Hull
Northern Endeavour New-Build
 Moorings
• The moorings for an FPSO can be:
- Spread moorings
- Benign conditions
- Any water depth
- Jacket or tower moorings
- Moderate conditions
- Shallow waters
- Turret moorings
- Any conditions and water depth
The External Turret System
Simple External Turret
Large External Turret
Disconnectable External Turret
Internal Turret System
Internal Turret
 Fluid Transfer System
• Function of system:
- To connect subsea risers to topsides process plant
• Fact
- Risers are stationary pipes
- Topsides plant is on weathervaning ship
• Problem
- How to connect the two
• Answer
- Fluid swivel
 Fluid Swivels
• Predominant fluid transfer system is the fluid
swivel
• Commonly referred to as the radial swivel
joint
• The term toroidal swivel is used to describe
shape of fluid pathway
Radial Swivel Joint
 Moorings and Fluid Transfer
• Fluid swivels only required for:
- Turret moorings
- Jacket moorings
• Spread moored FPSOs:
- Do not rotate around mooring point
- Do not require swivel joints
 Topsides Process Plant
• Processing which occurs on an FPSO:
- Three phase separation of the well fluids
- Gas recompression
- Gas treatment
- Produced water treatment
- Injection water treatment
• Standard black oil processing
- Practiced worldwide
 Offtake and Export
• Crude oil export from an FPSO
- Connection to a pipeline
- Direct ship transfer
- Using a surface hose either floating or
reeled
- Transfer through a loading buoy
Direct Ship to Ship Offtake
CALM Loading Buoy
 Accommodation
• Two possible locations
- Bow or Stern
• Accommodation block contains temporary safe
refuge (TSR)
• Layout of topsides plant must be based on:
- Survivability of TSR
Greatest risks remote
Gas or smoke ingression via HVAC prevented
Fire and blast-proofing may need to be upgraded

- Unhindered personnel access to TSR from any point

on deck
Cost Estimate Conceptual Design- Large
FPSO
Turret and Mooring Systems Design

Chapter 3
 Turret Mooring System
• Mooring turret is unique FPSO feature
• Serves three purposes:
- Anchors vessel at geo-stationary position
- Allows vessel to weathervane
- Provides conduit for fluid transfer
 Subsea reservoir infrastructure to topside
processing plant
Turret Overview
 Turret Design
• Three types of turret mooring systems
- External
- Internal
- Submerged
• Each type can be sub-divided into:
- Disconnect type
- Permanent connect type
Disconnectable External Turret
External Turret Permanent Mooring
External Turret – Permanent Moored
Internal Permanently Moored Turret
Internally Permanently Moored Turret
Maersk Curlew FPSO Turret - 1996
Maersk Curlew FPSO
FPSO Anasuria Turret Manifold Decks
Large Diameter Internal Turrets
Small Diameter Turrets
Internal (Submerged) Disconnect
Turret
Submerged Turret
Spread Moorings
Bow Anchoring for Spread Mooring
Jacket or Tower Mooring
Tower Mooring
Ship’s Motion
 Vessel Motion across the Sea Surface
• Based on the period
» Short period motion due to waves
– 6 to 20 second typically
» Longer period due to wind and waves
– Can be several minutes
– This is weathervaning
• Mooring forces increase with motion
» In other words in rougher the seas the greater are
the mooring forces
– More or stronger anchors
Mooring Chain Table
FPSO Mooring Spreads
Process Facilities

Chapter 4
Processing Facilities on a Typical FPSO
• Functional requirements
» Oil /gas separation
» Gas compression and treatment
» Produced water treatment and disposal
» Water injection
» Gas export / re-injection
» Support utilities
» Chemical injection and distribution
 Oil /Gas Separation
• First stage HP separation
• Second stage MP separation
• Third stage LP separation
• Electrostatic coalescing
• Well test separation
Oil / Gas Separator with Wave Motion
Internals
Overall Topsides Module Layout
 Gas Compression & Treatment
• The three compression stages and associated
compressors are:
» Flash gas compression K-201
» MP gas compression K-202
» HP gas compression K-203
 Water Injection
• Seawater supply
• Vacuum de-aeration
• Chemical injection
• Injection water delivery
 Support Utilities
• Fuel gas • MP steam
• Flare & drainage • Seawater system
• Compressed air system • Chemical injection
• Heating medium system system
• Cooling medium system • Power generation
Utilities Integration Diagram
 Chemical Injection System
• Consists of three sub-systems
» Topsides
– For oil / gas & injection water processing & protection
» Hydrate inhibition
– For production & gas processing
» Subsea
– For wellhead & flowline protection
 Safety Assessment
• Need to consider
» Layout of equipment
» Consequences of fire / explosion
» Safety venting
» Design of the fire system
» Containment & drainage of process fluids
 Alternative Technologies
• Multi-phase flow metering
• Subsea water separation
• Subsea raw water injection
• Multi-phase booster pumping
• Subsea power distribution
An SBM Vessel
Power Generation Module
Utilities (CM+HM) Module
Water Injection Pumps
Water Injection Module
Chemical Injection & Water Injection
Oil / Gas Separation Module
Methanol Storage & Injection
Glycol Regeneration
Flare K.O Drums
End of a Hard Day’s Work
Mess Hall
Gourmet Kitchen
Her Own Power
Marine Systems

Chapter 5
 Marine Systems
• Choice of Ship • Inert Gas System
• Tank Arrangements • Vessel/Topsides
• Loading/Offloading Interface
System
• Cargo Pumps
• Ballast System
• Stops System
 Choice of Ship
• Factors affecting the • Capacity of cargo
choice of ship are: storage and offloading
» Cost of conversion vs • Condition of machinery
new build • Propulsion type
» Field life and • Free area for topsides
redeployment plant
» Need for additional
strengthening
» Cargo tank conditions
 Vessel Sizes
• Tanker sizes used for FPSO conversion
» VLCC (very large crude carrier)
– 200,000 to 319,000 dwt
» Suezmax
• 120,000 to 200,000 dwt
» Aframax
• 75,000 to 120,000 dwt
FPSO Tank Arrangements
 Cargo Offloading Systems
• Floating Hose
• Reeled Hose
• CALM Buoy
• Submerged Hose
Floating Hose Arrangement
FPSO Stern Offloading
Stern Offloading Hose Reel
Reeled Hose Arrangement
CALM Buoy
Submerged Hose System
Submerged Cargo Pumps
 Tank Cleaning
• Crude Oil Washing – COW
» Removes wax and sediment build-up
» Carried out during offloading operations
» Uses warmed crude oil
» Following oil washing
– Water washing used prior to tank inspection
– Water washing can generate static charges
– Always done under inert gas blanket
 Tank Vapour Recovery
• Today’s environment focus is on:
» Emissions!!
• Cargo tank operations – no exception
• Tank vapour recovery is modern trend
» Don’t vent tank vapour – re-use it!!
• Problem – its “inert” nature
• Answer – don’t use “inert” gas
 Tank Blanketing
• Latest development is tank blanketing
» Use a gas that will:
– Exclude air, but be re-usable
» Hydrocarbon gas fills that need
• During loading tank gases
» Recovered for use as fuel
• During offloading separator gas
» Flows into tanks to exclude air