Standardization adds value to FPSO topsides - Alliance Wood ...

production operations
field-proven and can give a basis for future
designs.
Safety – Standardized design modules
would meet applicable safety standards and
industry design practices, and can be tailored
to meet operator requirements.
Experience contributes
to standardization
The FPSO is complex. It requires many
disciplines to engineer and design its topside
facilities. Based on experience and
using a design library, each discipline can
contribute specific standardized approaches
to accelerate the project and to offer the
most benefits.
Layout and piping design: Layout of the
topside facilities is driven by the sequential
placement of the processing systems
coupled with the safety policies imposed
on production facilities. In addition, no
single layout works for all combinations of
processing facilities, vessel configurations,
and metocean conditions. There are, however,
common rules influencing the design
that can be used to develop standardized
configurations for most scenarios. The
standardized layout generally facilitates
integration of all disciplines and enables
them to standardize as well.
The key to an optimal layout is modularization
by process or utility system. Each
major system is treated as a stand-alone
system and as a modularized component
of the entire facility. This concept will be
the same regardless of facility type or capacity.
Differences in equipment capacity
or pressure ratings might alter the size of
the modules, but will have minimal impact
on layout.
Safety is most important in the topsides
layout. Process modules are placed away
from the quarters and control buildings.
Only benign or non-hazardous equipment
is located near the commonly occupied safe
areas. This policy sets the tone for the overall
configuration. More hazardous systems
like gas compressors, production modules,
and vents or flares usually are placed at one
end of the facility. The remaining modules
are placed in a sequential order following
the steps of the treating process, which
generally coincides with a decreasing level
of risk.
The standardized layout uses a central
corridor with modules on either side and
pipe racks running from bow to stern. The
piping interfaces between modules should
be kept to a minimum. This configuration
minimizes the impact of relative motion
caused by wave action and resulting hog
and sag of mid-ship bending. It also fosters
personnel safety by allowing for access,
egress, and the materials handling necessary
for operation and maintenance.
Equipment-specific features also are incorporated
into the standardized layout.
Motion-sensitive separators like stabilizers
and contactors typically are located near the
ship’s center of motion to reduce the effects
of motion on level control and the separation
process. High-speed rotating equipment
such as turbine-driven compressors and
generators are aligned along the length of
the FPSO. Large reciprocating compressors
are placed with cylinders transverse to the
ship, using the hull’s bulkheads to resist the
compressor’s unbalanced forces and moments.
Another option for module configuration
is to integrate the pipe rack into the module
structure. This can reduce cost and
time by eliminating the stand-alone pipe
rack and reducing the number of piping
Standardized FPSO processing scheme. This process includes basic production separation and treating systems plus optional units as needed for
project-specific production requirements.