Abstract
This paper is part of the special OTC session "Floating Memories-Look Back to Leap Forward" intended as a historic retrospective of the evolution of the four major types of floating production platforms: Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO), Semisubmersible (FPS), Tension Leg Platform (TLP) and Spar, from their inception to the present day. The session includes a look ahead to the future of these floating platforms and what it will take to sustain their commercial viability as they adapt to headwinds from continuous volatility of oil and gas prices and competition from onshore tight oil projects.
This paper's focus is the Semisubmersible Floating Production System (FPS). It chronicles the forty five year progression of FPS technology from its humble beginnings in 1975 as a converted Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) deployed on the Argyll field in the North Sea in 80 m of water, to Appomattox, the most recent FPS, that began production in 2019 in 2250 m of water in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) . It also touches briefly on the evolution of the FPS hull, mooring and riser systems and addresses future trends and prospects.
From Argyll to Appomattox
