Page 81: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1997)

TERNATIONAL OFFSHORE UPDATE iprovements In Design Of Converted FPSOs Regarding 20 Years9

Deration Without Docking 'his paper presents improve- its on engineering design of r converted VLCCs that will be ;rated as FPSOs in Brazil's mpos Basin. Conversion was leduled to be completed and erations kicked off by mid-1997, oject economics demand that ie units be operated without jcking for 20 years due to the mplexity of pull-in and pull-out perations, and therefore 'etrobras applied maintenance ixpertise and innovative technolo- gies to meet the unique operating conditions. The actual conversion process of the FPSOs allowed per- sonnel the opportunity to gather reliable data about the vessel, its equipment and systems, which aided in designing the final unit for a 20-year lifespan.

These conclusions of this study will be used in the design of next- generation FPSOs planned for the

Marlim South, Albacora East,

Salema-Bijupira and Roncador fields. The main recommenda- tions are listed as follows: operation and maintenance work. •Enhance equipment and gen- eral load handling facilities.

The preceding was excerpted from a paper presented at this year's Offshore Technology

Conference by S. Assayag, E.

Prallon, F. Sartori / Petrobras -

E&P Campos Basin. you waterblast

In just a few minutes, using nothing but water, you can strip away the corrosion and fouling that plagues every vessel.

NLB's rotating

SPIN JET® technology makes short work of huge hulls. •In the case of converted

FPSOs, only re-use the hull because re-use of other equipment has proved uneconomical. •Improve painting schemes, aiming at greater coatings dura- bility and maintenance workload reduction. •Enhance the use of special coatings, such as resistant alu- minum spray, and the utilization of plastic materials, in cooperation with class society standards. •Enhance the automation of operations, providing reliability and safety gains. •Reduce the amount of equip- ment installed, adopting solutions that include greater capacity equipment in smaller quantities. •Install equipment in sheltered places and concentrate facilities inside engine rooms to facilitate

Look For MR/EN's

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Offshore

Technology Review

In November

August, 1997

High-pressure waterblasting produces a clean surface in minutes.

Ultra-high pressure waterblasting quickly removes rust, scale, old paint, barnacles — virtually anything — right down to a white metal finish. Eliminate the expense of chemicals, solvents or grit... and the risks they pose to crews. For hulls, holds, and boiler tubes, waterblasting is the fastest, cleanest, most environmentally-friendly method of surface preparation and cleaning you can choose.

It's also reliable and easy to use. The

ULTRA-CLEAN 36® waterblasting system from

NLB Corporation can run continuously for weeks without service and is as practical at sea as it is dockside. The system's low flow reduces operator fatigue and requires a minimal supply of fresh water. Use it with hand-held lances or with NLB SPIN JET® technology.

NLB can provide the ULTRA-CLEAN 36 system with various power options and mountings, as well as lances, hose and specialized nozzles. (You can even cut through pipes or bulkheads without heat or flame.) With 25-plus years' experience solving tough surface preparation problems, NLB can get you shipshape in a hurry.

NLB Corp.

The ULTRA-CLEAN" 36 system delivers 36,000 psi (2,500 bar) water just where it's needed. 29830 Beck Road,Wixom, Michigan 48393-2824, U.S.A.

Tel.: (810) 624-5555*, FAX: (810) 624-0908* http://www.nlbcorp.com

The leader in high-pressure water-jet technology *Area code 248, mid-1997

Circle 267 on Reader Service Card 81