Abstract
Due to diverse oil field characteristics, Carbon-Copy type of projects are rarely used in developing Floating Production Systems (FPS). Known as "Clones" or "Replicas," such projects are starting to become more common in the industry. This paper will demonstrate key success factors of the Carbon-Copy approach in the design and construction of complex FPSOs such as Cidade de Maricá and Cidade de Saquarema based in the original Cidade de Ilhabela. While the economy of scale present cost reduction opportunities, continuous improvement processes applied to the execution strategy may provide additional gains not only in costs but also schedule and quality.
When conditions allow for Carbon-Copy application, it is critical to minimize changes from the original design. Hence, it is essential to implement a global strategy covering different project aspects (engineering/procurement/construction) and phases (FEED/Execution/Installation). The strategy should identify situational scenarios that may represent project gains if different execution approaches and tools are implemented providing solutions to the previous bottlenecks and constraints associated to productivity.
The continuously increasing technical, commercial and regulatory challenges imposed by a more demanding deep water market require Operators and Contractors tight collaboration to renew and improve their processes and execution methods. The advantages and cost savings in reusing proven solutions and designs from one project to the next are intuitive to conceptualize, understand and visualize, but the implementation can be subject to unexpected complexities.
This paper will present, based on the delivery of FPSOs Cidade de Maricá and Saquarema, both carbon copied from previously delivered FPSO Cidade de Ilhabela, some of the key parameters such as suitable project organization, solid lessons-learned process and sound execution strategy focused on anticipated delivery, which enable the right conditions for successful FPS Carbon-Copy projects execution.
