FPSO based Extended Well Test and

Early production Systems in the GOM

Ad van Loenhout
Bluewater Energy Systems
Presented by Jos Wellink
Mexico October 2009

Subjects

An overview for the design and operations of

Extended Well Test and Early Production
Systems

About Bluewater

Early production & well testing

Station keeping

Riser configurations

Disconnectable moorings

Dynamic positioned FPSOs, experience

p. 2

p. 3

13/10/2009

About Bluewater Energy Systems

Bluewater Energy Systems

Founded in 1978
Privately owned, independent group of companies
1000+ employees including offshore, global representation
Main lines of business:
- Single Point Mooring Systems
Delivered over 100 systems worldwide
- Floating (Production) Storage & Offloading Systems
Owner & Operator of 7 FPSO's worldwide
Project Types:
- EPIC Turnkey Mooring Systems
- EPIC + Owner Operator Full Operational Lease Projects
Global Clients:
- Oil Companies, Terminal Operators, Main Contractors

p. 4

Bluewater Energy Systems Mooring Systems

p. 5

BES FPSO Experience

1985-2008
Bluewater
Energy Systems
FPSO's

p. 6

First design &

Operations
(from 1985)

Present design
& Operations

13/10/2009

(2009)

p. 7

Extended Well Test & Early Production

FPSO Types Overview

p. 8

Extended Well Test ( EWT)

- 1 year operation: minimum production
facilities

Early Production (EPS)

1-2 year production: basic production facilities

Small & middle sized field FPSO

4-7 year initial production: full production Arrangements
for redeployment

Long Term Production FPSO

13/10/2009

15-25 year production: maximised / dedicated project

facilities

Extended Well Test & Early Production

p. 9

Extended well test operations (EWT)

The purpose is to obtain information about the oilfields
Duration ranges from 3-6 months
EWT units shall be equipped with the basic production and testing
facilities. The produced gas can be flared for the limited period
Extensive test and measuring equipment is provided. Well tests
normally will be done from single wells only.
The process plant requires flexibility for range of crude, like the
API grade, GOR and produced water.

13/10/2009

Storage capacity requirements vary from 300,000 to 600,000 bbls of

stabilized crude.

Extended well test unit with drill / riser derrick

Example EWT with Riser

derrick

p. 10

Riser Derrick

drill-string for production

Coiled tubing
DP station-keeping

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Coiled tubing

p. 11

Station Keeping

Selection of station keeping system

Flowline
Configuration
Water
Depth

Tug Boat
Availability

Mooring
Arrangements

Local Weather
Conditions

Duration of
Operation

FPSO Size
Power demand

Changes of
Wind / Current
Directions
Offtake
Tankers

CAPEX

OPEX

Total Costs of Operation

Station Keeping

p. 13

Spread Moored
Limited environmental conditions
Large number of mooring lines
Restricted offloading 2-3 tugs required

FPSO

FPSO Barge
Spread Moored

S
P

S
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I
ith
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External Turret
Free weather-vaning
Less suitable for deepwater loads
S
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FPSO Barge
with External Turret

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Internal Turret Permanent Moored

Free weather-vaning
Design to withstand hurricanes

FPSO

Converted VLCC
with Internal Turret

Dynamic Position / Turret

Disconnectable in hurricanes
Light mooring for submerged buoy only
Continues fuel consumption( gas or diesel )

EPS

EPS
Dynamic positioned
with Internal Turret

13/10/2009

FPSO

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EPS

EPS
Permanently moored
Passive weathervani

p. 14

Flowline Configuration - Spread Moored and Turret Moored

Turret mooring
W5

va
Pre

g
ilin

t
ren
Cur

W4

W1
W3

W5

W2

v
Pre

ng
aili

Cu r

t
ren

W4

Spread mooring
W1
W3

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W2

Station Keeping

Munin FPSO
Deepwater Disconnectable mooring

p. 15

Turret Moorings
Permanent moored turret systems large number of risers

p. 16

Turret moorings

p. 17

p. 18

Riser Configurations Deepwater

Riser Configuration Deepwater

p. 19

Riser systems for FPSOs shall provide the flexibility to

cope with the hull motions and draft variations.

Flexible Pipes

Steel Catenary Riser configuration (SCR) Flexjoint Connections

Hybrid Riser Solutions

Free Hanging
Steep Wave and Steep S Configuration

13/10/2009

Tethered Riser Buoy

Free Standing Risers ( FSHR or SLOR

Riser Configuration Deepwater

p. 20

13/10/2009

Flexible Riser

Riser Systems

p. 21

Bluewater Tethered Riser Buoy

Riser Buoy
Patent filed and granted in 1997

Risers

Riser Systems
Free standing Hybrid Riser

p. 22

Riser Systems
Steel Catenary Riser

p. 23

p. 24

Disconnectable Mooring Systems

Disconnectable Mooring Systems

p. 25

EWT and EPS FPSOs which operate in DP mode and/or Hurricane

areas can be provided with Disconnectable mooring systems.
The mooring system can be designed for :

Quick disconnect (time 30-100 seconds)

Planned disconnect (time 2-4 hours)

Pre Installation of the buoy system and risers

Modifications to the unit with minimal production operations

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Other advantages and flexibility of a disconnectable system

Disconnectable Mooring Systems

Munin FPSO with disconnectable system for deepwater

p. 26

Disconnectable Mooring Systems

Mooring line configuration for disconnectable system

p. 27

Bluewater Reference Projects - Munin

p. 28

13/10/2009

Cascade/Chinook (FEED)

p. 29

Disconnectable buoy
for deep water, 8 Risers

The buoy has a large number

of compartments and is
designed for 81 meters of
water depth with one
compartment flooded.

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Disconnectable Mooring Systems

Bluewater Reference Projects - FPSO Aoka Mizu

p. 30

p. 31

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Disconnectable turret

p. 32

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Disconnection System

Outrigger and Buoyancy Tank

p. 33

FPSO
Outrigger

Outrigger
Buoyancy
Tank
supporting
risers/
umbilicals
to be lifted up
out of the
water

Flexible
risers coming
from subsea
infrastructure
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portside

p. 34

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Buoyancy Tank and Riser Pull-in

p. 35

Dynamic Positioned EPS, Experience

Dynamically Positioned FPSO Munin

p. 36

DP Class 2 Notation
3 Independent Position Reference
Systems :
- 2 x DGPS
- 2 x HPR
- Artemis

4 Main Engines, 2 Engine Rooms, 2

Bow Thrusters, 2 Azimuth Thrusters,
1 Main Propeller driven by 2 Electro
Motors

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Power consumption for position

keeping (1-2 MW average

Typhoons/Hurricanes

p. 37

Usual typhoon alert

system in place
Experienced one
typhoon in Dec 2004;
did not have to
disconnect
(experienced Hs 4.5
m)

China

Operated offshore
China at the Xijang
field

13/10/2009

FPSO
Munin

Dynamic Positioning (DP) Operations

p. 38

Capability/Limitations
Set at Hs 5.5-6.5 m. based on:

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DP Capability Plot diagrams, typical mono hull: limited

athwart ship propulsion; bow into the environment

p. 39

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Rotation Around DP Setpoint

(Emergency) Disconnect

p. 40

Emergency response: quick

disconnect!

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Manually activated with

pushbutton at DP desk.

Experience Summary at Xijiang

p. 41

Actual DP performance is better than expected.

Experienced weather during the operations:
15 - 40 knots wind, 1.5 4.5 m sign. wave height.
Position Deviation
Normally within 1 m from wanted setpoint.
Up to 2 m during regular operation.

13/10/2009

Max. up to 5 m during rapid heading changes.

Experience Summary, Offloading

p. 42

Position deviation:
Normally within 1 m from wanted set point (hawser
load feed forward into DP working as
intended)
Up to 5 m with large offtake tankers of 150,000 DWT
(1 M bbls).

Limits (irrespective whether DP or nonDP FPSO)

Weather
Hawser load

: 3.5-4.5 m Hs
: 3 x >150 t in 60 min.

13/10/2009

p. 43

13/10/2009

Thank you. Questions ?