Trelleborg: Enhancing FPSO ops and enabling cost savings for oil & gas operators by getting rid of regulations’ gap

The global oil and gas industry is burning the candle at both ends to bring more projects online in a bid to meet the growing demand and ensure energy security. To this end, more floating production units, including floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, are being pursued and existing ones may be in need of some upgrades. While reeling operations are seen as a critical component of offshore FPSO oil and gas activities, they come with certain safety hazards. Trelleborg’s Jonathan Petit sheds light on the reasons why industry standards need to keep pace with innovation for reeling operations and how updating them to reflect new technologies can mitigate the risks for operators, saving millions in costs. 

After the previous lack of investment, energy players are turning to floating production systems in hot pursuit of more offshore oil and gas projects to develop new and existing resources and bring them to the global markets. As a result, an increase in demand for facilities, such as FPSOs and FLNGs, is in the offing, with projected orders reaching up to $173 billion for as many as 168 units within the next five years, according to Energy Maritime Associates  (EMA). With new FPSOs coming to market and existing ones being pushed to their full capacity, the industry is facing rising costs and supply chain uncertainties.

However, there are aspects of FPSO operations that pose specific challenges such as the stresses associated with the constant reeling and unreeling of a marine hose, which can cause excessive premature wear. The majority of marine hoses have large, stiff metal connectors called nipples that amplify these forces to the ends of the connectors, resulting in premature wear, and the additional risk of accident, while nippleless technologies use smaller connectors, integrated bending stiffness, and different flange technology to create flexible hoses that spread forces evenly over a hose. 

In addition, issues associated with carcass configurations also pose a problem, with dual carcass hoses, for instance, reducing strain on a hose while improving safety compared to single or double carcass hoses, thanks to two functionally independent carcasses that handle the external and internal pressure acting on a hose separately. Currently, the industry standards on marine hoses are lagging behind these developments, as there is a significant difference between dual and double carcass technology and nipple and nippleless, however, they are treated the same by regulators with some internal standards treating dual carcass hoses like single carcass hoses. 

On a mission to glean a better understanding of the issues, Offshore Energy obtained insights from Jonathan Petit, Trelleborg’s Product Manager, who has degrees from INSA Lyon – Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon and the Université de Lyon. This mechanical engineer with over 12 years of experience in the field of fluid handling and oil transfer in marine environments talked about how regulatory standards can and should be updated, and how updating them internally can help operators create safer, cost-efficient projects.

Petit explained: “Success or failure in the oil and gas value chain has always depended on balancing competing priorities amidst seismic changes; and this is particularly apparent in the FPSO arena. Currently, while there is significant growth in orders for new FPSOs, the new normal is expensive, and tenders are feeling the pinch. Rising raw prices and growing wages, in combination with wider pressures on the need to limit or reduce energy prices, are making projects especially challenging when committing long-term capital investment within the predictions of project management costs, operational costs and varying operator returns.

“There is no doubt that the sector needs both technologically proven solutions and astute thinking that will maintain the bottom line for operators while delivering on mandatory safety and environmental obligations. This need for new thinking and solutions is apparent throughout the value chain, from the boardroom to the platform. However, a glaring omission may be limiting the sector’s ability to reach its full potential when it comes to regulation and guidance on key pieces of operational equipment.”

Trelleborg’s Product Manager mentions the growing Brazilian FPSO sector as an example to demonstrate opportunities to bring regulation in line with the technology-induced operational benefits. According to Petit, GMPHOM 2009 considers only ‘single carcass’ or ‘double carcass’ construction within the context of flexible floating hoses without taking into consideration the current operating environments, procedures, or available technological solutions.

“Brazil is one of the most productive oil and gas locations in the world and according to an analysis from Rystad Energy, the region has put to sea more than 50 vessels since 2005. This and a growing order book have enabled Brazil to be labeled as the ‘FPSO capital.’ Brazil’s FPSO sector is also moving into deeper, more complex and remote fields. Anyone who has worked in Brazilian oil and gas can confirm that the weather quickly turns and can be fierce, leading to some operators using more costly solutions such as turret moored vessels. This presents a typical example of a situation that requires regulatory revision,” outlined Petit.

With this at the forefront, Trelleborg’s Product Manager highlights that regulatory constraints have led operators to often put up with the shortcomings of old practices, accepting “less-than-optimized transfer specifications,” which ramp up operational costs, as a result of higher frequencies of hose inspection, maintenance, and replacements. Petit claims that the biggest immediate impact of these costs – which can go over €1.5 million throughout the lifecycle for testing, replacements, and requalification – is felt in installation and operability, deemed to be “an expensive and labor-intensive process.”

Trelleborg’s Product Manager, pointed out: “This wasteful process encourages buyers to treat hoses as simple commodities, missing out on valuable operational advantages. Worst of all, it could lead to users mix-and-matching hoses from different suppliers, bought at different times. This could further exacerbate wear and tear and increase the need for maintenance due to the slight difference in geometry, weight or bending stiffnesses. Reeling operations can present particular issues for offshore marine hoses.

“The stresses of winding and storage and the extent of handling mean an obvious solution to delivering increased reliability and longer hose life is the flexibility offered by a hose designed to manage such operational variables. This is particularly important in high-growth FPSO areas such as Brazil; and crucial where weekly losses can reach several hundred million if a hose fails. Dual carcass nippleless hoses offer that solution.”

Moreover, Petit underscores that nippleless hoses have been used several times to replace nipple hoses that were exhibiting premature failure in the North Sea. While a dual carcass comes with multiple operational benefits, Trelleborg’s Product Manager emphasizes that it is still incorrectly categorized by regulations as a single carcass even though its design, construction, and application are “distinct enough” for a separate product definition.

“There are no large, stiff metal connectors on the design of a nippleless hose. The metal connectors are kept far more compact with integrated bending stiffeners, reducing stress, corrosion and fatigue. Meanwhile, the dual carcass’s innovative use of rings in its design rather than a helix in nipple design reduces the risk of a kink. Furthermore, the dual carcass design therefore combines flexibility with strength and long life. It is lighter and saves on valuable space. A dual carcass can transfer over longer distances without increasing weight, which enhances ease of recovery and again reduces stress,” elaborated Petit.

Additionally, Trelleborg’s Product Manager is adamant that throwing the dual carcass within a single carcass category creates confusion in the industry, thus, the operators are not offered the benefit of the three distinct options, which are single, double, and dual carcass. Petit believes that rectifying this would help specifiers zone in on “an optimum solution” specific to their operational needs.

“There is an appetite for change, as witnessed in the willingness of several operators, oil majors and owners to consider dual carcass hoses for a range of FPSOs fitted with reels. This is especially important in areas of growth such as Brazil where already four of the top ten FPSOs in the country by oil production are using Trelleborg REELINE hoses. Hoses that are nippleless and dual carcass in design,” underlined Trelleborg’s Product Manager.

Petit notes that those championing the dual carcass hose are facing obstacles due to retrospective regulation, but despite this, he is convinced that reeling operations can benefit from a lifecycle approach that prioritizes design suitability within the context of operational and cost efficiency. Willingness to adopt the benefits of dual carcass technology while welcome is not enough on its own, as existing regulations need to enable such options.

“When regulators meet to review and update their documents, it is vital from the operator’s perspective that careful consideration is given to current realities and the ability of modern technology such as nippleless and dual carcass hoses to deliver much-needed solutions,” concluded Petit.