1,000 offloading operations completed without a hitch
25 Jan 2018 Reading time calculated text
After almost a decade in service for Norway-based Aker BP, the Pusnes offloading system installed on the Alvheim floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel has now played its part in producing around 370 million barrels of oil.
“The offloading system was commissioned and ready for use in 2008 and it has successfully performed around 1,000 offloading operationswithout any stops in production or any offloading problems,” highlights Egil Rose, Service Manager, MacGregor.
“We focus on delivering safe, reliable and efficient operation of our Pusnes offloading system to Aker BP and its uninterrupted operational availability is of great importance. This is reflected in the high-quality expectations that the company places on service and maintenance, and our work on the Alvheim FPSO is no exception,” continues Mr Rose.
Annual inspections pay off
Every year service engineers from MacGregor’s Global Lifecycle Support competence centre in Arendal, Norway, have undertaken a thorough inspection of the entire offloading system. This includes all MacGregor Pusnes products, including key elements such as the:
- Offloading hose reel with crude hose
- Hawser-handling winch with emergency release system
- Control system with interlocks and safety system
- Hydraulic power unit
- 20” emergency shut-down (ESD) valve and other interconnected products
“Annual inspections pay for themselves many times over, as companies that choose this proactive approach to service rarely experience any problems,” says Trygve Risdal, Service Engineer, MacGregor. “Operators know that their systems have been examined by skilled, trained personnel from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). This is the ‘gold-standard’ for service, and it shows.”
Aker BP’s Alvheim FPSO serves the company’s Alvheim field in the North Sea with water depths in the area between 120 and 130m. “Since production began in 2008, Alvheim has produced oil beyond expectations, and there has been a gradual increase in developing the resources in this field,” says Frode Rydningen, Marine Leader – Alvheim FPSO.
Did you know...?
The load is transferred from the FPSO’s centre tanks and pumped through a fiscal measuring station before running through an offloading hose from the FPSO to a shuttle tanker. The FPSO is ballast-stabilised using seawater.
Crude oil flows at 12m/s inside a 0.50m diameter hose, providing a maximum offloading rate of 5,200 m3/h. This is equivalent to 1,444 litres per second.
Oil can be offloaded in storm conditions at maximum wave heights of 10m.
