OGP Marine Risks Workshop

Workshop Objective
Engage the Industry in recognising the different
risk profile associated with FPS

Identify key risk areas

Gain Industry view on action areas

Differentiate between risk areas

operating procedures
development
 Workshop Structure
Programme is divided into four sessions
scene setting
design
construction and transport
Installation and operation

Each session comprises presentations and break out

followed by feedback
Industry Understanding of Risk

Investment decisions are being made

using financial models that consider project execution risks
but not the full range of facilities technical risk.

Is the Industry taking a higher facilities technical risk as it

moves increasingly towards floating production in deepwater?
 Risk Components

Risk is a broad term. It not exclusively “failure” of either a

sudden or progressive nature. It is also schedule delays,
cost overruns, low production ramp up and operations
problems causing production downtime.

Potentially risk can occur during each phase of a project

-Design
-Construction
-Installation
-Operation
Risk Baseline

Baseline facility for Industry appreciation of facilities risk

is the fixed steel platform.

-More than 7000 installed worldwide.

-Developed over 50 years.
-Established design and construction practices.
-Reasonable understanding of failure frequency and causes
which have mostly been addressed in practices.
-Many unmanned.
-Many with very low hydrocarbon inventories.
 Fixed Platform Risk

Risk

1950 2000
FPS Incremental Risk
Design (1)
Risk reduction by improved design
Short term:-
Avoid obvious design risks through sound specs.
eg Green water
Fatigue
Bow slam
Fail-close ballast valves
Longer term:-
Wave climate prediction and coincident environment.
Scaling for deepwater model tests.
Coupled hull, riser & moorings behaviour.
FPS Incremental Risk
Design (2)
Design procedures are being introduced
API RP 2FPS, 2SK, 2SM
ISO 19904 first draft on ISO TC 67/SC7 website

They are Industry specific guidance.

Build on knowledge incorporated in Class Soc Rules for
some aspects of hull and mooring design.

These documents can be likened to early editions of API RP2A.

A major improvement but technology still under development.
Examples of recent Design
Problems
FPSO hull fatigue
FPSO topsides fatigue
Green water
Bow slam
Mooring connectors
Mooring hawse pipe
Ballast control systems
FPSO swivel failures
Spar riser “stick/slip” in guides and at keel joint
 FPS Incremental Risk
Construction

Shipyards operate differently from dedicated offshore yards.

Different in construction and inspection practices.
Limited number of project management and design staff.
Geared to series build.
In some yards different in safety practice.

Competition for yard space and staff with shipping industry.

Examples of recent Construction
Problems
Missing components in stiffened plate structures
Weld quality control in large stiffened plate
structures
Tolerances in rotating components
Topsides piping integrity
Adhesive systems connecting VIV suppression
to pipe
Riser tower buoyancy fit up
Control umbilical superduplex tubing quality
 FPS Incremental Risk
Installation

Scale – often large components requiring upgrades to existing

construction vessels.
Use of new equipment and procedures.

Long ocean tows

Bundle tows
Large energy stored in reeled systems
Mooring line and riser handling damage
Examples of recent Installation
Problems
Damage to outer sheath of flexible risers
Damage to wire and polyester moorings
Dropped lifts
Failure of reeled tube assemblies
High dynamic loads in deep subsea equipment
deployments
Errors in pre-tension in moorings
 FPS Incremental Risk
Operation
Requires active management to maintain integrity of platform.

Inspection techniques for moorings and risers are limited in capability and hull may
have access constraints.

Usually large complex facilities.

Often large hydrocarbon inventory.

Plant maintenance complicated by motions.

Shuttle tanker export is an active system.

Control room complexity - need to monitor marine systems as well as process.

Requirement for marine training of operators.

Examples of Operations Risk

Ballast control
Heading control
Impact from offtake tanker
Overpressuring cargo or ballast tank
Decision complexity when responding to incident
FPS Risk

Risk

2003?

1950 2000
 FPS Risk
Action Required (1)
Recognise that risk associated with an FPS differs from a
fixed steel platform.

FPS risk is not unacceptable as many systems have demonstrated

but as we move to large throughput facilities it is not fully
understood and needs to be reduced.

Key to controlling risk is developing consistent performance

specification, design and operating practices.
FPS Risk
Action Required (2)
Projects should
Recognise that many of the new deepwater
FPS developments incorporate a high degree
of relatively new technology.
Focus on risk identification and reduction.
Have a “Plan B” for high risk items.
Ensure that schedules do not compromise
time for design and implementation planning.
Ensure economic models incorporate
contingencies and production uptimes that
reflect the degree of innovation.