Sembcorp Builds World’s First FSO with 40-Year Hull Lifespan

Sembcorp Marine has completed the world’s first floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel with a 40-year hull lifespan, the FSO Ailsa.

The unit, built for oil and gas company MODEC and christened on May 9, will enter service with a hull designed to have twice the average hull fatigue lifespan of other newbuild FSOs, as verified by marine assurance company DNV GL.

A longer hull fatigue life enables ships to withstand harsher and more extreme environmental conditions, such as rogue waves, corrosion, large ambient temperature variation and thunderstorms.

Equipped with a 430,000-barrel condensate storage capacity, FSO Ailsa also boasts a 25-year continuous operability without drydocking and full compliance with strict UK safety regulations for harsh-environment operations. The unit is scheduled to set sail next month for the Culzean gas field in the UK North Sea.

“FSO Ailsa, the 46th floating unit MODEC has accomplished for the offshore oil and gas production industry, represents a significant milestone for us as it is the first one we have built for the North Sea oil and gas sector,” Sateesh Dev, President & CEO of MODEC Offshore Production Systems (Singapore), said.

FSO Ailsa is Sembcorp Marine’s first floating storage and offloading newbuild project, constructed over 22 months with a zero Lost Time Incidents record.