Industry interest in tanker-based floating production systems in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has brought forth the need to evaluate the worldwide performance of these systems regarding oil spill safety. This paper discusses the incidence of oil spills from Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) systems and shuttle tanker operations throughout history, based on public data and a recent industry survey. Oil spill statistics are presented considering the following factors:
Geographical location
Vessel type and size
Primary operation in progress at the time of the incident
Cause of Spill
Spill volume
Results indicate that oil spills from FPSOs and shuttle tankers are very rare, and the industry can continue its aggressive pursuit for utilization of an FPSO in the Gulf of Mexico.
During the past 22 years, tanker-based floating production systems (FPSOs) have been utilized in a wide variety of water depths, weather conditions and field types. These systems are among the most flexible options for developing offshore oil fields. Generally, a newbuild FPSO is designed for a field life of 20-25 years and a tanker converted for FPSO service is designed for a field life of 10-15 years. However, Walter Winkworth, Manager of Offshore Services for Lloyd's Register of Shipping, states in an OCS report that FPSOs can be designed for a field life of up to 50 years (for a shallowwater, nearshore FPSO)1. FPSOs can also be used on a shortterm basis for an Extended Well Test (EWT), an Early Production System (EPS), or can be relocated for use on multiple fields. They can be designed to operate in water depths as shallow as 50 feet to extreme deepwater, and a wide range of weather conditions.
FPSOs are suitable for several scenarios that are applicable to the GOM, as listed below:
In a marginal field, an FPSO can provide full-scale production operations without the expense of a purpose built fixed facility. The FPSO can then be re-used elsewhere, thereby saving money for the field owner.
EWT or EPS operations require a temporary installation such as an FPSO.
Ultra deepwater fields can be developed with the use of an FPSO. With an FPSO, a massive structure is not required in order to develop the field, as is the case with a Tension Leg Platform (TLP) or other fixed structure, since an FPSO is not sensitive to topsides weights or space restrictions. Note: Reserves totaling more than 4 billion barrels of oil have been located in water depths ranging from 1600 feet to 5900 feet (500m to 1800m) in the Gulf of Mexico in just the last six years.2
An FPSO can be designed to stay on location during a hurricane or be able to eave the operating site during thes torm.
Remote field locations, far from existing platforms or pipelines, can be developed with an FPSO since it provides its own storage and offloads to shuttle tankers. This eliminates the necessity of an oil sales pipeline.
