FLOATING OFFSHORE

STRUCTURES
Ship-shaped:
Floating Production, Storage and
Offloading Systems

OE4652 Floating Structures

Ir. H. Boonstra

Offshore Engineering
CONTENT

• Types
• Design drivers
• Sizes
• Shapes
• General Arrangement
• Systems

2
WORLD FLEET FPSO

August 2005 data (Offshore Magazine)

• 99 operating units
• About 50/50 leased/operator owned
• 15 under construction or repair/modification
• 1 LPG FPSOs
• 27 units being bid

142 altogether

3
FPSO DISTRIBUTION JULY 2005

4
FAMILY

• Regular Tankers
• SPM Terminals
• FSU (floating storage unit)
• FSO (floating storage & offloading unit)
• FPSO
• FSRU (regasification)
• LNG-FPSO (liquefied natural gas)

5
 FPSO - why
• Recoverable asset
• Marginal fields (North Sea)
• Political stability (Nigeria)
• Re-use is feasible
• Lack of infrastructure (storage)
• Deep water
• Improve First Oil Date
• Parallel engineering
• Drill while you build

Anasuria
6
FPSO – Layout

FALCON
255 000 dwt

8
GIRASSOL

9
DESIGN DRIVERS

• Reservoir characteristics
• Field life/service life
• Site conditions
• Subsea development lay-out
• Regulatory standards & operator requirements
• Well intervention needs

10
RESERVOIR
CHARACTERISTICS
• Plateau production capability
• Pressure, temperature, viscosity
• Wax, asphaltenes
• CO2 and H2S content → materials, coatings
• Water cut → bpd throughput > bopd
• Gas content (GOR) → compression, gas swivel
• Water or gas injection
• Gas lift

11
PRODUCTION PROFILE

Usually
peaking
up front

Water cut
influence

12
SITE CONDITIONS

• Sea surface : wind, waves, currents →

spread mooring or weather-vaning
• Waves : motions, accelerations →
workability; extreme motions, stresses; fatigue
• Current profile for risers → vortex shedding
• Water depth : risers, mooring system
• Sea bed soil conditions for anchors
• Air temperature → gas turbines
possibility of ice

13
SUBSEA LAY-OUT

• Direct tie-backs versus manifolding

• Turret diameter and number of risers
• Limited passes through swivel
• Swivel complexity

14
15
16
STANDARDS AND CODES

• Classification Society (Lloyds, ABS, DNV, etc.)

• Coastal State
• Flag State
• International Conventions : IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL
• Detailed standards : API, ASME, ISO, ILO, etc

17
VESSEL SIZE DETERMINATION

• Field production rate (bopd)

• Oil specific gravity (ton/m3, degrees API)
• Shuttle tanker schedule, days between offloading
• Sea state persistence data
• Complexity, size & weight of process plant
• Gas disposal : use, export, re-inject
• Availability of ships (for conversion)

18
SHUTTLE SCHEDULE

• Regular or irregular
• Effect of weather on mooring up / disconnecting
• Mechanical breakdowns

Result : FPSO storage capacity =

bopd x shuttle interval plus a 10 - 15% reserve

19
CRITERIA FOR TRANSFER
source : UKOOA

Connect Disconnect

Sign wave height 4.5 m 5.5-6.0 m

Max wave height 8m 9.5 m

Max wave period 15 sec 15 sec

Wind speed 35-40 knots 35-40 knots

Visibility 500-800 m

20
PERSISTENCE DATA
example : Gulf of Thailand

All year persistence of significant wave height

Threshold L arger than threshold Smaller than threshold

m Duration Duration
M ean (hr) M ax(hr) % of time M ean (hr) M ax(hr) % of time
0.5 91 1091 69.5 49 1541 30.5
1 45 348 21.8 138 2861 78.2
1.5 27 185 5.7 357 6758 94.3
2 22 127 1.4 1093 7751 98.6
2.5 17 102 0.4 3009 8758 99.6
3 18 63 0.2 4373 8782 99.8
3.5 14 43 0.1 6254 8782 99.9
4 11 11 0 7965 8782 100

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DESIGN STEPS

• Determine total storage tank capacity

• Max. filling of tanks typically 98%
• Determine dwt capacity requirement
• Add estimated weight of the process plant
• From comparable ships, estimate main dimensions and
lightweight or steelweight
• Allow for project specifics (e.g. turret)

22
MAIN DIMENSIONS

• Largely determined by deadweight capacity

• Sometimes restriction of draught
• In North Sea and similar : risk of green water on deck
/ slamming on bow : ship shape with high freeboard at
bow
• In benign areas : barge shape (cheaper to build)

L = length between pp B = width, beam

T = draft D = depth

23
 TANKER DWT-VOLUME RATIO
Tank Capacities, 1923 ships

4,500

Abt 7.5 bbls/ton

4,000

3,500

s.g.~ 0.84 ton/m3

Tank volume, thousand barrels

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000
DWT

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FPSO DWT-VOLUME RATIO

25
STORAGE-PRODUCTION RATIO

26
RESERVES-PRODUCTION

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MMboe
TANKER LENGTH Length of Tankers, 1923 ships

500,00

450,00

400,00

350,00
Length between PP, m

300,00

250,00

215+ 0.00037 dwt

200,00

150,00

100,00 for 100-300 kdwt

50,00

0,00
0 100.000 200.000 300.000 400.000 500.000 600.000
DWT

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 TANKER BEAM
Beam of tankers, 1923 ships

90.00

80.00

70.00

60.00
Moulded beam

50.00

40.00

30.00

20.00

10.00

0.00
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000
D eadw eigh t tonnage

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 OIL TANKER LIGHTWEIGHT

0,2

0,15 lwt/dwt
lwt/LBD
0,1
Linear (lwt/LBD)
0,05 Linear (lwt/dwt)

0
0 100000 200000 300000 400000
Deadweight Capacity (at full draught)

30
DESIGN APPROACH

• Determine the required storage capacity

• Start with an “educated” guess of dimensions
• Determine scantlings, based on Rules or first principles
• Check the required storage volume, weight capacity
• Include reasonable volume for water ballast
• Change dimensions and start again

The lwt/dwt statistics of tankers enable a bypass of the

cumbersome determination of scantlings

31
FPSO DIMENSIONS

Always check :
• displacement = ρgCBLBT + skin, appendices
• displacement = lightweight (incl. process plant) + deadweight +
suspended items (risers, anchor lines)
• deadweight = cargo weight + fuel + fluids in systems + crew +
miscellaneous
• T max = D - freeboard
• Minimum freeboard determined by ship rules, for large tankers
abt. 6 m
• Positive GM (GM = MB + BK – GK)

32
SHAPES AND TYPES

33
TYPES

• New-built or conversion
• Ship-shape or barge-shape
• Oil, LPG, LNG
• Spread moored or weather-vaning
• Internal or external turret
• Midship, bow, stern position
• Tandem or side-by-side offloading
• Gas re-injection or sales (pipeline)

34
 FPSO SHAPE Ship Shape
•In North Sea and similar
•Green water on deck
•Risk of slamming at bow
•High freeboard at bow

•Or :because of conversion

Barge shape
•Benign areas
•Cheaper to build

35
CONVERSION VERSUS NEW
BUILDING
• Available time from decision to first oil
• Cost aspects
• Lifetime (fatigue considerations)
• Availability of appropriate conversion tanker
• size
• age
• history of use
• New built may be ship-shape or barge-shape

36
DESIGN OF ARRANGEMENT

• Spread mooring or SPM

• SPM midship, internal in bow, external to bow
• Side or tandem offloading
• Flare tower or ground flare; position

37
DESIGN OF ARRANGEMENT

• Accommodation (living quarters, LQ) : position upwind

or downwind of the process plant
• Separation between LQ and flare
• Heliport unrestricted access
• Process plant subdivision
• Thruster (at stern)

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 MOORING

Soft Yoke (Nigeria) Spread Moored (Nigeria, risers attached

to side)

39

Internal Turret (UK) DP (China, temporarily)

 OFFLOADING
• Usually within 24 hours
Tandem
• Sea-state limits for mooring
up and for remaining
moored
• Shuttle tanker may be
purpose built or a tanker of
convenience
SPM
Side by side

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FPSO BRASIL

41
255 000 dwt

42
BLEO HOLM

43
GIRASSOL

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LNG FSRU – NEW BUILT

• SBM design
45
LNG FSRU – CONVERSION

• SBM design
46
PROCESS PLANT

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PROCESS PLANT

• At elevation above tank deck

• Subdivided in functional Pre-Assembled Units (PAUs),
“pancakes”
• Multitude of interconnections
• Small to large
• 2 000 – 30 000 tonnes

48
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50
DEMOLITION OF EXISTING
DECK STRUCTURES

51
ELEVATED DECK

• Typically 2.5 m above (closed) main deck

• Minimizes impact of green water
• Provides natural ventilation
• Separates (explosions in) topsides from cargo tanks

• For Northern North Sea:

Green water : elevation above still water to be taken 18-
22 m at bow, 10-12 m midship and stern

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53
(FPSO) PROCESS PLANT
• Separation Oil, Gas, Water
• Stabilized crude oil storage
• Gas handling – compressors, dehydration
• Water cleaning & disposal
• Cooling and heating
• Flare
• Injection : gas, water, chemicals
• Gas lift
• Utilities

FIELD SPECIFIC !!

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55
Glas Dowr CSU load-out
56
STRUCTURAL WEIGHT PROCESS FACILITIES

• Depends on flat versus 3D Pre-Assembled Units (PAU)

• Typically 30-40 % of total PAU weight
• Self bearing structure for
• Load out
• Installation by heavy lift
• Decoupling from ship’s hogging/sagging

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ASSEMBLY

• "Pancake approach" saves time (ideally)

• .....but adds weight
• Planning and logistics are essential
• Don't wait, expedite

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LIFTING PROVISIONS

61
TYPICAL COMPLETED TOPSIDES

62
OIL PROCESSING MODULES

Oil Separation LP

Oil Separation HP
63
GAS COMPRESSION MODULES
HP/LP Flare Knockout

Gas Treatment
Flare Stack

Gas Process

Gas Compression
64
WATER INJECTION MODULES

Water Treatment

Water Injection

65
STEAM / POWER
GENERATION

Power Generation
66

Steam Generation
 FPSO SYSTEMS

Safety Operation

Cargo Handling Support Systems

Miscellaneous

67
SAFETY

Fire and Gas

Emergency shut down
Deluge
Safe Haven / Temporary Refuge
Emergency lighting
Access and escape
Life boats, life rafts, helicopter
Seabed safety valve

68
FIRE FIGHTING

• Pressurized fire mains throughout ship

• Deluge system in specific areas
• Sprinkler system in accommodation
• CO2 or other system in ship engine room
• Foam system on helideck
• Main fire pumps + jockey pump
• Diesel driven emergency fire pump
• Fire & Gas detection system, monitored in CCR

69
ACCESS & ESCAPE

• Main access by helicopter

• Heliport includes safety induction room
• Escape by helicopter or boat
• conventional closed life boats
• free fall boats
• Life rafts as required by IMO
• Fast Rescue Craft

70
OPERATION

Central Control Room

Power generation
Power distribution
Uninterruptable Power Supply
Remote cargo valve control
Material handling / laydown
Fresh/potable water
Tank monitoring

71
CARGO HANDLING

Crude distribution
Tank monitoring
Fiscal metering
Offloading
Inert gas & tank ventilation
Ballast
Corrosion protection

72
CARGO

• Central pumproom or deepwell/submersible pumps

• Single or multiple segregations
• Tank level gauges
• Settling tank(s)
• Slop tank(s)
• Cargo control system
• Remote control of valves
• Sloshing and free surface effects

73
CRUDE STORAGE TANKS

• Storage tanks for 5-10-20 days peak production

• Storage for off-spec production
• Max size per tank 30,000 m³ (MARPOL)
• Slop tank(s)
• Segregated ballast tanks
• Double hull principle : not (yet) required for FPSO
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) control in crude
tanks

74
INERT GAS

• Purpose : preventing explosive conditions

• IG generator or stack exhaust gas
• VOC’s depend on crude composition
• Crude flammability grade A-E depends on vapor
pressure (RVP measured at 31.8° C) and flash point
• Lighter crude usually is more flammable

75
BALLAST

• Purpose : draft and trim control

• Always segregated ballast tanks
• Mainly wing tanks + peak tanks
• Corrosion protection
• Inspection

76
OFFLOADING

• Tandem shuttle mooring

• hawser
• offloading hose
• quick release provisions
• shuttle collision risk
• Side by side shuttle mooring (unusual)
• Separate SPM berth (spread moored FPSO)
• Fiscal metering system

77
GLAS DOWR

Reel for the

offloading hose

78
 GLAS DOWR

Offloading hose reel

79
GLAS DOWR

Bunker hose and hawser reels

80
TANDEM OFFLOADING TO
MIDSHIP

81
SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Pig launcher & receiver

Material handling
Crude oil washing
Anchor line tensioning
Cooling & heating
Drain systems

82
UTILITIES

• Neither ship nor process

• Power plant for compressors, process etc
• Disposed water treatment

83
MATERIAL HANDLING

• Deck crane(s)
• Lay down area(s)
• Trolleys, deck equipment
• Swivel module handling system

84
MISCELLANEOUS

Accommodation
Communications and Public Address System
Shipboard power distribution
HVAC
Seawater
Fresh water
Grey water, sewage treatment, incinerator
Fuel, lubrication oil
Thruster

85
ACCOMMODATION

• Position of living quarters upwind or downwind of

process area
• Safe Haven /Temporary Safe Refuge
• Central Control Room
• Client cabin(s) and office
• Temporary accommodation of larger maintenance
crews

86
HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning)

• Forced ventilation in living quarters and hull

• Natural ventilation of process plant
• HVAC designed for worldwide conditions
• Flaps in air ducts close on fire alarm

87
FUEL & LUB OIL

• Concentrated in ship’s engine room

• Diesel pipeline to gas turbines in utilities
• Supply by supply boat or shuttle tanker

88
FRESH WATER

• Fresh water makers on waste heat or board net

• Sewage treatment unit
• Engine cooling may be on closed fresh water circuit

89
THRUSTER(S)

• Requirement with midship turret

• Sometimes with bow turret
• Automatic thrust control, heading feedback

90