Page 42: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2015)

OFFSHORE ENERGY

FPSO

Guide to Life

Extension

By William Stoichevski “Inspect, never expect,” urges Ketil late-life FPSO or someone’s ? eld life- here are new-builds, and there are conversions. In lean

Hox, Teekay Petrojarl’s FPSO start- extension project. Three decades of ex- times, there’s also “life-extension” for FPSOs increas- up manager for the North Sea. The perience on four continents — at Bonga,

T ingly seen as the best hope of developing oil? elds too chemical engineer with two decades of the new-build FPSO Bonga South West,

Kvaerner (Aker Solutions) process ex- Penguins and others — has taught him pricy as platform projects. Life extension is about making perience oversees production units as that danger lurks in all life-extension ? rst-time money, cutting costs or continuing to earn when a they become producers. A major area of propositions. He’s put that experience ? eld or ? oater enters a new stage. It’s also about safety. Life concern for Hox is also “safe late-life”, into print, writing voluminously about which in the language of the NORSOK, FPSO design, hydrodynamics and off- extension involves major, multiyear considerations for opera- the Norwegian contract standard, means shore structures. When he speaks, slowly tors and FPSO contractors, and for all approaches to longer managing “barriers” to disaster. Good at ? rst and under intense nearby lighting, safety strictures, good equipment, good it’s about the unnerving evidence he’s life, history is the great decider.

people and a sea-safe vessel are all “bar- seen from the burdensome legal stand- riers”. point of an operator examining a life-

Backing up Hox is Shell’s Penguins extension candidate.

FPSO lead, Ali Anaturk, a respected With the average life of the world industry voice. He explains how safety FPSO ? eet between 15 and 20 years, barriers might be compromised from the “Some are fast approaching their de- get-go if start-up happens to involve a sign life,” Anaturk says. Of the 164 FP- 42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • SEPTEMBER 2015

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