Page 42: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2013)

Recent severe storms in the U.K. North Sea have re- sulted in a number of ß oating production, storage and ofß oading vessels (FPSOs) being shut down in order to assess and repair the damage caused. Not-withstanding the possible safety implications for operations crew, oil and gas majors are facing weeks, if not months with- out a critical asset which in turn, is having a signiÞ cant impact on future production.The design and operation of an FPSO in remote locations requires detailed information on the structural response of the vessel within the local environment offshore. Monitoring of critical components including the risers, hull and mooring lines simultaneously with the local environmental forcing of waves, wind and currents at the site location, provides a valu- able insight into the performance and possible extension of the integrity life of the asset. Louise Ledgard, Head of Oil and Gas Business Develop- ment at BMT Group, explains that as new technology is intro- duced, riser design becomes more sophisticated and extension of design life is required, it becomes increasingly important to monitor an assetÕs performance to assist with operational decisions, forensic investigation of marine incidents and the evaluation of design codes. Over the last few years, an increase in the number of offshore incidents¹ related to FPSOs in the North Sea during extreme storm conditions has resulted in focused attention on the ver- iÞ cation of design codes and a review of inspection proce- dures. With an average mooring failure projected at 8.8 years O shore Inspection, Repair & Maintenance Monitor Performance Louise Ledgard, Head of Oil & Gas Business Development, BMT Group Effective monitoring in the offshore environment is increasingly critical to ef Þ cient operations. November/December 201342 MTRMTR #9 (34-49).indd 42MTR #9 (34-49).indd 4212/13/2013 9:33:39 AM12/13/2013 9:33:39 AM