Page 43: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2015)

Under the weather

Process kit aboard the Norne FPSO

Photo: Harald Pettersen Statoil ASA

SOs in the world as of January 2015, he security. Though FPSOs might be aging, Seaborne Norne collection program, studies at Polarkon- says most are “owner-operated, custom- there jacketed cousins the oil platforms That life-extension market is divided sult in Harstad, northwest Norway, and built is the tendency for large volumes, are older. It’s a nice point of sales for the by philosophies on savings and value at Aker Solutions carried out at sea show (while) leased, life-extended, deep-wa- vessels option. Anaturk says there’s a over the question of whether to repair, the hull can still stand up to punishing ter and getting old are also the trend”. similar number of shallow-water FPSOs modify and overhaul in dry dock or at waves as high as 10 meters until 2036.

Classi? cation societies require appear- in service now as there were when the sea. The latter is a Norwegian favorite, “The studies conclude by showing the ances in dry dock for some, but “ad-hoc oil price last was at today’s levels, back it turns out. hull structure is robust and that the great solutions are being found” for others that in 2005. Most new FPSOs have been Stately Norwegian operator Statoil an- likelihood is that the lifetime can be ex- might be permanently moored or teth- “deep-water-only”, yet they, too, are nounced this winter that the world’s most tended,” says Statoil Norne boss Kristin ered and or even looked at for the ? rst only as ubiquitous as they were in 2005. northerly placed ship-shaped production Westvik. time as “docks” by some, as in discus- So there’s been some FPSO attrition. vessel, the Norne FPSO in the Norwe- “We can do the necessary modi? ca- sions in Indonesia, according to a source. Of the world numbers, no disconnect- gian Sea, could live another 15 years tions without taking the production ship

Moreover, class only provides guidance able FPSOs is over 20, and that’s a good on hull life-extension work and process to land for a long period.” The vessel for the hull, not topsides, and class rules thing, since they could take six months modi? cations for increased oil recovery serves an astonishing 15 subsea tem- and shipbuilding norms have guided to two years to disconnect and overhaul amid the varying, high-pressure, high- plates.

FPSO design, just as uncertainty on rules for a new project. “Disconnectible” ves- temperature and hydrate-prone well and late-life standards begin to arise. He sels are dry docked at ? ve years, so these stream of local hydrocarbon ? nds. Asset Integrity says that reliance on class early on might vessels alone are today’s life-extension The Norne FPSO was to shut down this Studies are part of life-extension and in late-life be providing a false sense of and modi? cations market. year but after an excellent 18-year data not unique to the North Sea area. Most www.marinelink.com 43

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