Floating production systems
Marking a major milestone as the Gulf of Mexico’s second 20,000-psi deepwater development, the project underscores how advanced high-pressure technology, management of flow challenges, and the floating production system’s role as a regional hub are helping open the door to more Inboard Wilcox development.
Despite a 2.8% drop in liquefied natural gas exports in 2025 because of lost market share in China, Australia anticipates a 2026 rebound as new North West Shelf capacity comes online. Meanwhile, East Coast operators brace for a tsunami of wells entering the decommissioning pipeline and potential energy shortfalls necessitating LNG imports.
Woodside’s $12-billion gas project offshore Western Australia is expected to produce up to 8 mtpa once it’s complete.
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DNV GL and floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel specialist Bluewater are undertaking a pilot project to use hybrid digital twin technology to predict and analyze fatigue in the hull of an FPSO in the North Sea. -
The FPSO will be capable of processing 90,000 B/D of crude, 75 million ft3/D, 120,000 B/D of water injection, and a storage capacity of 900,000 bbl of crude oil. First oil is planned for 2021.
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The complete paper provides insight on the commercial drivers that significantly changed floating-production-system (FPS) design philosophy after 2014, with a particular focus on the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM).
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Offshore workers kidnapped from an FPSO offshore Nigeria in an armed pirate attack in July have been released, the owner of the floating production unit said.
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The traditional subsea tieback model is evolving, supported by advances in flow assurance that allow tiebacks over much longer distances and by the introduction of new technologies that increase overall cost effectiveness.
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Vår Energi is looking to extract another 136 million BOE from the Balder Field. Production is anticipated in 2H 2022.
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In its push to boost deepwater production, Petrobras is aiming to launch a leasing tender to build an FPSO described as Brazil’s largest-ever oil platform. Decommissioning work begins in the Campos and the Sergipe-Alagoas Basins.
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The Búzios-5 production system is planned to include the interconnection of 15 wells to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel in two phases.
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Awards are expected to recover to seven vessels next year. Over the past 10 years, only 2016 saw a lower level of activity when not a single FPSO contract was awarded.
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The FPSO vessel will reduce capital expenditure and breakeven costs and increase commercially feasibility, leading to FID.
