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Alexander Maritime - Services - Offshore Services

Alexander Maritime provide offshore support for FPSO’s for Flag State Certification and DNV (Det Norske Veritas) Certification.

Alexander Maritime can provide the following services for FPSO's:

• Coordinating mooring chain inspections on FPSO’s.
• Operational and safety consultancy for Flag State Certification.
• Operational and safety consultancy for DNV (Det Norske Veritas) Certification

General Information on FPSO's

When a tanker is chosen to transport the oil, it is necessary to accumulate oil in some form of storage tank such that the oil tanker is not continuously occupied during oil production, and is only needed once sufficient oil has been produced to fill the tanker.

Often the solution is a decommissioned oil tanker which has been stripped down and equipped with facilities to be connected to a mooring buoy. Oil is accumulated in the FPSO until there is sufficient amount to fill a transport tanker, at which point the transport tanker connects to the stern of the floating storage unit and offloads oil.

There are two main types of FPSOs, the converted oil tanker type or the purpose built type. These might be disconnectable or permanently moored. The FPSO design will depend on the area of operation. In benign waters the FPSO may have a simple shape or it may be a converted tanker. The injection lines are connected to an area of the ship called a Turret, which can be external and hanging off the side of the FPSO in calmer waters such as in West Africa. For more harsh environments like the North Sea, an internal turret is located in the center and underneath the FPSO and the vessel should have a refined shape. This in order to position itself towards the wind and reduce environmental forces on the moorings. All ship-shaped FPSOs in the North Sea are purpose-built and most are permanently moored. FPSOs may also be semi-submersible type platforms with storage or cylindrically shaped. These are moored in fixed orientation.

An FPSO has the capability to carry out some form of oil separation process obviating the need for such facilities to be located on an oil platform. If the unit does not have such facilities it is an FSO, Floating Storage and Offloading unit, and would be operated in association with a production unit such as a platform.

A floating storage and offloading unit(FSO) is a floating storage device, which is a simplified FPSO without the capability for oil or gas processing. Most FSOs are old single hull supertankers that have been converted.

At the other end of the LNG logistics chain, where the natural gas is brought back to ambient temperature and pressure, ships may also be used as FSRUs. A LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) is a floating storage and regasification system, which receives liquefied natural gas (LNG) from offloading LNG carriers, and the onboard regasification system provides natural gas send-out through flexible risers and pipeline to shore.