VESSEL REVIEW | Penguins FPSO – Cylindrical processing platform for Shell's UK North Sea operations
Shell UK recently deployed a floating production storage and offloading platform (FPSO) at the Penguins oil and gas field in the North Sea off Scotland.
The aptly named Penguins FPSO will be deployed in 165 metres (541 feet) of water some 240 kilometres (150 miles) northeast of the Shetland Islands. The DNV-classed FPSO was built jointly by CNOOC Offshore Oil Engineering (COOEC), a shipbuilding arm of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and Norwegian shipyard Aibel to a design by Seatrium’s Norwegian engineering subsidiary Sevan SSP.
Unconventional proven design
US-based engineering firm Fluor Corporation had overall responsibility for the engineering, procurement, and fabrication of the platform, which was designed to be able to operate for up to 20 years even without drydocking. COOEC constructed the hull while completion and commissioning were undertaken at Aibel’s facilities in Haugesund following transport of the FPSO via a Boskalis heavy-lift vessel.
The FPSO has a hull diameter of 70 metres (230 feet), a displacement of 28,000 tonnes (hull and topsides), a storage capacity of 400,000 barrels, and accommodation for up to 70 personnel. Oil production is rated at 45,000 barrels per day while up to 2,200 cubic metres (78,000 cubic feet) can be offloaded per hour. A cylindrical design was selected for its lighter displacement, lower operating cost, and significantly improved durability and seakeeping compared to FPSOs that utilise traditional tanker hulls.
Enhanced safety features
The platform also features a gas turbine exhaust ducting and silencing system, which redirects exhaust gases safely away from the turbine exhaust outlet to the exterior of the FPSO. This system features “cold-case” ducting to minimise the risk of the casing temperature causing the surrounding atmosphere to ignite.
Penguins FPSO is now being operated at the Penguins field, which was discovered in 1974 and where Shell and NEO Energy are the licence holders under a 50-50 partnership. The FPSO was finally installed at the field on July 22 of this year, taking over as the main production facility there following the 2017 decommissioning of the Brent Charlie platform. This is also the first time in nearly 30 years that Shell has placed a manned installation in the northern North Sea.
