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 Vessels 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
Ships 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 Days 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
Todays environment focus is on:
Emissions!!
Cargo tank operations no exception
Tank vapour recovery is modern trend
Dont vent tank vapour re-use it!!
Problem its inert nature
Answer dont 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