Thursday, February 24, 2011

port infrastructure

The Campshires are the stretches of land between the quay and road on both the north and south quays in Dublin[1]. Warehouses used to be sited on them, such as those on Sir John Rogerson's Quay.
Traditionally this area was occupied by travelling cranes but recently it has been the centre of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority's efforts to renew the whole area of Dublin Port.






Container crane

A container crane (also container handling gantry crane, ship-to-shore crane ) is a design of large dockside gantry cranes found at container terminals for loading and unloading intermodal containers from container ships.
Container cranes consistent of a supporting framework that can traverse the length of a quay or yard, and a moving platform called a "spreader". The spreader can be lowered down on top of a container and locks on to the container's four locking points ("cornercastings"), using a "twistlock" mechanism. Cranes normally transport a single container at once, however some newer cranes have the capability to up pick up up to four 20-foot containers at once. The first use of a container crane was constructed by Paceco Corp. for Matson (a marine terminal in Alameda, CA) in the early 1960s and called a Portainer.[citation needed]
A fully maneuverable version not using rails is a rubber tyred gantry crane.

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[edit] Types

There are two common types of container handling gantry crane: high profile where the boom is hinged at the waterside of the crane structure and lifted up in the air to clear the ships for navigation; the second type is the low profile type where the boom is shuttled/pulled towards and over the ship to allow the trolley to load and discharge containers. Low profile cranes are used where they may be in the flightpath of aircraft such as where a container terminal is located close to an airport.

[edit] Designers and manufacturers

A converted oil tanker delivering fully assembled cranes.
The Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) is the world's largest manufacturer of container cranes.[citation needed] Container cranes are often delivered fully assembled on converted oil tankers (the cranes are welded to the deck of the ship for transit). When transported, the cranes are 103 metres and weigh 1,250 tonnes each.[1]
Amongst the major designers and manufactures of these cranes are[citation needed] Liebherr Container Cranes[2], Kalmar Industries[3], (ZPMC)[4], TCM Corporation[5], Konecranes, IMPSA[6], Paceco[7], Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsui Hyundai and Samsung.
A container crane can can cost up to US$10 million each and take two years to deliver.[1]

[edit] Sizes

Super-PostPanamax cranes in Port of Rotterdam, these overhang by 50 m (22 rows of containers).
Container Cranes are generally classified by their lifting capacity, and the size of the container ships they can load and unload containers.
Panamax
A "Panamax" crane can fully load and unload containers from a container ship capable of passing through the Panama Canal (ships of 12–13 container rows wide).
Post Panamax
A "Post-Panamax" crane can fully load and unload containers from a container ship too large (too wide) to pass through the Panama Canal (normally about 18 container rows wide).
Super-Post Panamax
The largest modern container cranes are classified as "Super-Post Panamax" (for vessels of about 22 container rows wide and/or more). A modern container crane capable of lifting two (2) 20-foot (6.1 m) long containers at once under (end-to-end) the telescopic spreader will generally have a rated lifting capacity of 65 tonnes. Some new cranes have now been built with 120 tonne load capacity enabling them to lift up to four (4) 20-foot (6.1 m) long or two (2) 40-foot (12 m) long containers. Cranes capable of lifting six (6) 20-foot-long containers have also been designed. Post-Panamax cranes weigh approximately 800–900 tonnes while the newer generation Super-PostPanamax cranes can weigh 1600–2000 tonnes.

[edit] Operation

All of the containers on Rita have been loaded by similar cranes to this one in Port of Copenhagen
A MAN AG container crane belonging to Patrick Corporation at Port Botany, New South Wales, Australia.
The crane is driven by an operator that sits in a cabin suspend from the trolley. The trolley runs along rails that are located on top or sides of the boom and girder. The operator runs the trolley over the ship to lift the cargo which generally are containers. Once the spreader latches (locks) on to the container with the Spreader, the container is lifted and moved over the dock and placed (discharged) on a truck chassis (trailer) to then be taken to the storage yard. The crane will also lift containers from the chassis to store (load) them on to the ship.
Straddle carriers, sidelifts or container lorries then manoeuvre underneath the crane base, and collect the containers—rapidly moving the containers away from the dock and to a storage yard.

[edit] Power

The cranes are powered by two types of power source; by diesel engine driven generators which are located on top of the crane or by electric power from the dock. The most common is by electric power from the dock (also known as shore power) in which case the electric source is AC which can be from 4,000 up to 13,200 volts.[citation needed]
















Drayman

A drayman was historically the driver of a dray, a low, flat-bed wagon without sides, pulled generally by horses or mules that were used for transport of all kinds of goods. Now the term is really only used for brewery delivery men, even though routine horse-drawn deliveries are almost entirely extinct. Some breweries do still maintain teams of horses and a dray, but these are used only for special occasions such as festivals or opening new premises.

Gantry crane


Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

Samson and Goliath are now retained in Belfast as historic monuments under Article 3 of the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
Shown in picture is Gantry crane on the right side called a "Full Gantry" built by Demag Cranes AG.
Bridge cranes, overhead crane, gantry cranes are all types of crane which lift objects by a Hoist (device) which is fitted in a hoist trolley and can move horizontally on a rail or pair of rails fitted under a beam. An overhead travelling crane, also known as an overhead crane or as a suspended crane, has the ends of the supporting beam resting on wheels running on rails at high level, usually on the parallel side walls of a factory or similar large industrial building, so that the whole crane can move the length of the building while the hoist can be moved to and fro across the width of the building. A gantry crane or portal crane has a similar mechanism supported by uprights, usually with wheels at the foot of the uprights allowing the whole crane to traverse. Some portal cranes may have only a fixed gantry, particularly when they are lifting loads such as railway cargoes that are already easily moved beneath them.
Shown in picture is a Hoist (device) that is used on bridge cranes, but is also similar to what is used on gantry cranes.
Overhead crane and gantry crane are particularly suited to lifting very heavy objects and huge gantry cranes have been used for shipbuilding where the crane straddles the ship allowing massive objects like ships' engines to be lifted and moved over the ship. Two famous gantry cranes built in 1974 and 1969 respectively, are Samson and Goliath, which reside in the largest dry dock in the world in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Each crane has a span of 140 metres and can lift loads of up to 840 tonnes to a height of 70 metres, making a combined lifting capacity of over 1,600 tonnes, one of the largest in the world.
However, gantry cranes are also available running on rubber tyres so that tracks are not needed, and small gantry cranes can be used in workshops, for example for lifting automobile engines out of vehicles.

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[edit] Variants

[edit] Container crane

Side-view of Super-PostPanamax portainer crane at APM Terminal in Port of Rotterdam
A ship-to-shore rail mounted gantry crane is a specialised version of the gantry crane in which the horizontal gantry rails and their supporting beam are cantilevered out from between frame uprights spaced to suit the length of a standard freight container, so that the beam supporting the rails projects over a quayside and over the width of an adjacent ship allowing the hoist to lift containers from the quay and move out along the rails to place the containers on the ship. The uprights have wheels which run in tracks allowing the crane to move along the quay to position the containers at any point on the length of the ship. The first versions of these cranes were designed and manufactured by Paceco Corporation They were called Portainers and became so popular that the term Portainer is commonly used as a generic term to refer to all ship-to-shore rail mounted gantry cranes.

[edit] Workstation Gantry Cranes

Workstation gantry cranes are used to lift and transport smaller items around a working area in a factory or machine shop. Some workstation gantry cranes are equipped with an enclosed track, while others use an I-beam, or other extruded shapes, for the running surface. Most workstation gantry cranes are intended to be stationary when loaded, and mobile when unloaded.

[edit] Rail Mounted or EOT Gantry Cranes

Steam Crane using a line shaft for power produced by Stuckenholz AG, Wetter am der Ruhr, Germany. Design developed by[1] Rudolf Bredt
Electrical Overhead Travelling (EOT) cranes or Gantry Cranes are commonly found in factory applications such as steel yards, paper mills or locomotive repair shops. The EOT gantry crane functions similarly to an overhead bridge crane, but has rails installed on the ground and gantry-style legs to support the crane. Capacities range from 2 to 200 tons. Most are electrically powered and painted safety yellow.
When bridge cranes and Gantry cranes became more popular in factories in the late 1800s a steam engine was sometimes used as a way to power these devices. The lifting and moving would be transferred from a fixed line shaft. the picture on the right shows an example of system powered by a line shaft and steam engine. The overhead crane is from 1875, and was one of the first systems to be powered in sutch a way. This was produced by Stuckenholz AG, Wetter am der Ruhr, Germany. Design developed by Rudolf Bredt .[1] from an original installation at Crewe railway works.

[edit] History

Demag Cranes & Components Corp. was one of the first companies in the world to mass-produce the first steam-powered crane as illustrated above on the right.[1] Gantry cranes using built-up style hoists are frequently used in modern systems. These built up hoists are used for heavy-duty applications such as steel coil handling and for users desiring long life and better durability. Also used are package hoists, built as one unit in a single housing, generally designed for ten-year life, but the life calculation is based on an industry standard when calculating actual life. See the Hoists Manufacturers Institute site[2] for true life calculation which is based on load and hours used. In today's modern world for the North American market there are a few governing bodies for the industry. The Overhead Alliance is a group that represents Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), Hoist Manufacturers Institute (HMI), and Monorail Manufacturers Association (MMA). These product counsels of the Material Handling Industry of America have joined forces to create promotional materials to raise the awareness of the benefits to overhead lifting that also include gantry cranes. The members of this group are marketing representatives of the member companies.

[edit] Early manufacture

  • 1830: First Crane company in Germany Ludwig Stuckenholz company now Demag Cranes & Components GmbH.[1]












Reach stacker


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Reach Stacker
A Reach Stacker is one of the most flexible handling solutions whether to operate a small terminal or a medium sized port.
Reach stackers are able to transport a container in short distances very quickly and pile them in various rows depending on its access.
Reach stackers have gained ground in container handling in most markets because of their flexibility and higher stacking and storage capacity when compared to lift trucks. Using reach stackers, container blocks can be kept 4-deep due to the second row access.
There are also empty stackers that are used only for handling empty containers.










Reefer ship



Salica Frigo cropped.jpg
A reefer ship is a type of ship typically used to transport perishable commodities which require temperature-controlled transportation, mostly fruits, meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products and other foodstuffs.
Reeferships may be split into three categories[1]:
  1. Sidedoor vessels have water tight ports on the ships hull, which open into a cargo hold. Elevators or ramps leading from the quay serve as loading and discharging access for the forklifts or conveyors. Inside these access ports or side doors, pallet lifts or another series of conveyors bring the cargo to the respective decks. This special design makes the vessels particularly well suited for inclement weather operations as the tops of the cargo holds are always closed against rain and sun.
  2. Conventional vessels have a traditional cargo operation with top opening hatches and cranes/derricks. On such ships, when facing wet weather, the hatches need to be closed to prevent heavy rain from flooding the holds. Both above ship types are well suited for the handling of palletized and loose cargo.
  3. Refrigerated Container vessels are specifically designed to carry containerised unit loads where each container is an individual refrigerated unit. These ships differ from conventional container ships in design and power generation equipment.
A major use of refrigerated cargo hold type ships was for the transportation of bananas but has since been partly replaced by refrigerated containers that have a refrigeration system attached to the rear end of the container. While on a ship this is plugged into an electrical outlet (typically 440 VAC) that ties into the ship's power generation. Refrigerated container ships are not limited by the number of refrigeration containers they can carry unlike other container ships which lack sufficient refrigeration outlets or have insufficient generator capacity. Each reefer container unit is designed with a stand-alone electrical circuit and has its own breaker switch that allows it to be connected and disconnected as required.
Refrigerated cargo is a key part of the income for some shipping companies. On multi-purpose ships, Refrigerated containers are mostly carried above deck as they have to be checked for proper operation. Also, a major part of the refrigeration system (such as a compressor) may fail, which would have to be replaced or unplugged quickly in the event of a fire. This being the case, no provisions for refrigerated cargo power connections are made below the hatch covers that enclose the top of the hatches aboard a ship. Modern container vessels stow the reefer containers in cellguides with adjacent inspection walkways that enable reefer containers to be carried in the holds as well.
Modern refrigerated container vessels are designed to incorporate a water-cooling system for containers stowed under deck. This does not replace the refrigeration system but facilitates cooling down of the external machinery. Containers stowed on the exposed upper deck are air-cooled while those under-deck are water cooled systems. The water cooling design allows capacity loads of refrigerated containers under deck as it enables the dissipation of the high amount of heat they generate. This system draws fresh water from the ship's water supply which in turn transfers the heat through heat exchangers to the abundantly available sea water.
There are also refrigeration systems that have two compressors for very precise and low temperature operation, such as transporting a container full of blood to a war zone. Cargoes of shrimp, asparagus, caviar and blood are considered among the most expensive refrigerated items.














Refrigerated container

Reefer on a truck
Containers loaded on a container ship with the refrigeration units visible
A refrigerated container or reefer is an intermodal container (shipping container) used in intermodal freight transport that is refrigerated for the transportation of temperature sensitive cargo.
While a reefer will have an integral refrigeration unit, they rely on external power, from electrical power points at a land based site, a container ship or on quay. When being transported over the road on a trailer they can be powered from diesel powered generators ("gen sets") which attach to the container whilst on road journeys.
Some reefers are equipped with a water cooling system, which can be used if the reefer is stored below deck on a vessel without adequate ventilation to remove the heat generated.
Water cooling systems are expensive, so modern vessels rely more on ventilation to remove heat from cargo holds, and the use of water cooling systems is declining.
The impact on society of reefer containers is vast, allowing consumers all over the world to enjoy fresh produce at any time of year and experience previously unavailable fresh produce from many other parts of the world.

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[edit] Cryogenic cooling

Another refrigeration system sometimes used where the journey time is short is total loss refrigeration, in which frozen carbon dioxide ice (or sometimes liquid nitrogen) is used for cooling.[1] The cyrogenically frozen gas slowly evaporates, and thus cools the container and is vented from it. The container is cooled for as long as there is frozen gas available in the system. These have been used in railcars for many years, providing up to 17 days temperature regulation.[2] Whilst refrigerated containers are not common for air transport, total loss dry ice systems are usually used.[1] These containers have a chamber which is loaded with solid carbon dioxide and the temperature is regulated by a thermostatically controlled electric fan, and the air freight versions are intended to maintain temperature for up to around 100 hours.[3]
Full size intermodal containers equipped with these "cryogenic" systems can maintain their for the 30 days needed for sea transport.[2] Since they do not require an external power supply, cryogenically refrigerated containers can be stored anywhere on any vessel that can accommodate "dry" (un-refrigerated) ocean freight containers.

[edit] Redundant refrigeration

Redundantreefer.JPG
Valuable, temperature-sensitive, or hazardous cargo often require the utmost in system reliability. This type of reliability can only be achieved through the installation of a redundant refrigeration system.
A redundant ISO container system consists of a standard ISO container (i.e. intermodal container), integral primary and backup refrigeration units, and integral primary and back-up diesel generator sets.
The two sets of refrigeration units are mounted on one end of the ISO container used for intermodal shipping. This is a much more usable design than others which may try to have equipment on each end and load from the side of the container. The refrigeration units (and generator sets) will be electrically interlocked for automatic start and stop operation as required, such that only one can operate at a time to maintain the required temperature set points. Should the primary refrigeration unit malfunction, the secondary unit would automatically start. Refrigeration units with more highly reliable scroll compressors can also be used in order to maintain the desired temperatures.
The two sets of fuel-powered generator sets will power their respective refrigeration unit whenever necessary. The primary generator set will start automatically based on the status of the cord-supplied electrical power. If the primary generator engine cannot start after a pre-set time, the secondary generator will automatically start.

 


 

 


 


 

 

 

 

 

Roll-on-roll-off discharge facility

A roll-on-roll-off discharge facility (RRDF) is a floating platform that provides a roadway between a ship's ramp and lighterage. It is constructed by connecting multiple causeway sections.
Ports equipped with roll-on-roll-off wharfs include:
City/Port↓ Country↓ Continent↓ Port Code↓
Antwerp/Port of Antwerp Belgium Europe BEANT
Aarhus/Port of Aarhus Denmark Europe DKAAR
Bremerhaven/Port of Bremerhaven Germany Europe DEBRV
Copenhagen/Port of Copenhagen Denmark Europe DKCOP
Gothenburg/Port of Gothenburg Sweden Europe SEGOT
Kotka/Port of Kotka Finland Europe FIKTK
Le Havre/Port of Le Havre France Europe FRLEH
Oslo/Port of Oslo Norway Europe NOOSL
Rotterdam/Port of Rotterdam Netherlands Europe NLRTM
Thamesport/London Thamesport (LTP) UK Europe GBRCS
Brisbane/Port of Brisbane Australia Oceania AUBSA
Melbourne/Port of Melbourne Australia Oceania AUMLB
Sydney/Port of Sydney Australia Oceania AUSYD
Adelaide/Port of Adelaide Australia Oceania AUADL
Fremantle/Fremantle Port Australia Oceania AUFRE
Auckland/Port of Auckland New Zealand Oceania NZAKL
Tauranga/Port of Tauranga New Zealand Oceania NZTRG
Palmerston/Port of Palmerston New Zealand Oceania NZPMS
N.Plymouth/Port Taranaki New Zealand Oceania NZNPL
Nelson/Port Nelson New Zealand Oceania NZNON
Christchurch/Port of Christchurch New Zealand Oceania NZCHC
Dunedin/Port of Dunedin New Zealand Oceania NZDNB
Timaru/PrimePort Timaru New Zealand Oceania NZTIU
Invercargill/Port Invercargill New Zealand Oceania NZIVC
Wellington/Port of Wellington New Zealand Oceania NZWGN
Dubai/Port Rashid U.A.E Asia AEDXB
Jeddah/Jeddah Islamic Port Saudi Arabia Asia SAJED








Rubber tyred gantry crane


Kuantan Port container yard with rubber-tyred gantry crane.
A Rubber Tyred Gantry crane (RTG crane) is a mobile gantry crane used for stacking intermodal containers within the stacking areas of a container terminal. RTGs are used at container terminals and container storage yards to straddling multiple lanes of rail/road and container storage, or when maximum storage density in the container stack is desired.[citation needed]
A normal container crane runs on steel rails, instead of rubber-tyres. The side-view appearance of a RTG and a straddle carrier are fairly similar, but the top of a RTG also features has a movable crane.

[edit] Alternatives

A Sidelifter is another device for loading containers unto trucks. It is fixed unto the truck and therefore less usable for multitasking. Does however require less energy (eg. fuel) to operate.

















SECU (container)

SECU, Stora Enso Cargo Unit, is a type of intermodal container (shipping container) built to transport bulk cargo like paper on railway and ship.
A SECU looks like a standard 40-foot ISO-Container but is bigger, measuring 13.8×3.6×3.6 metres and which can carry 80 tonnes of cargo. This is compared to the normal 12.2×2.7×2.4-metre size and 26.5 tonne load of an ISO-Container.
A SECU is too big and heavy to be transported on road (ISO-Containers are designed to fit roads), and instead they are transported only by railway and ship. A special vehicle or crane is used to load and unload them. Special railcars are also needed. They can be transported on truck ferries.
They are invented and used by Stora Enso (forest and paper company). The ports used are mainly Kotka, Göteborg, Zeebrugge, Tilbury and Immingham.












Shorepower

Shorepower (also known as Cold Ironing, shore power or shore supply, especially in the UK) is a power source from land used to power marine vessels when in a harbor. The term can also be applied to aircraft or land-based vehicles (such as campers and heavy trucks with sleeping compartments), which may have power requirements when main engines are not operating for idle reduction.
The source for land-based power may be an electric utility company, but also possibly a diesel driven generator. Shorepower may also be supplied by renewable energy sources such as wind or solar.
Some of the reasons for using shorepower are:
  • Saves on board resources like fuel, or make it possible to service generators.
  • Eliminating emission of toxic fumes as well as CO2.
  • Reduction of noise level.
  • To be in compliance with local anti-idling laws.
Different power forms may be used to transfer electrical energy from port to the boat:
  • 11000 V AC[1]
  • 6600 V AC (likely to become standard)[2]
  • 660 V AC
  • 400 V AC
The reason to use high voltage is to minimize the cable area needed and hence the weight that will result in shorter handling times. One obstacle is the use of different frequencies like 60 Hz instead of 50 Hz. Which may cost 300 000 - 500 000 EUR to convert. The amount of power needed is usually 2,0 - 10 MW.[1] Cable to connect larger ships may cost 20 - 25 EUR/meter. Transformer substations cost 15 000 - 30 000 EUR. Operation and maintenance costs of the onboard auxiliary engines are estimated to be around 4 EUR/MWh for electricity generated. Fuel cost for sea diesel, with sulphur content less than 0,5% cost approximately 18 EUR/MWh (12 months sliding average in 2005).
To ensure that galvanic corrosion doesn't occur an isolation transformer that provide galvanic isolation should be used. Because the power grid and on board earth potential may differ.[2]
Connecting or disconnecting takes approximately 30 minutes using 400 V AC due cable bulkiness. Thus increasing the voltage and put a portable transformer at the end might be worthwhile for the benefit of less cable area. This affects the minimum amount of time required shore time to make it worthwhile.[3]
For small private boats the power used is usually the same as regular household electric power. Use of household power on boats is less common than in homes, hence the distinctive name.
The reason for not connecting small boats to shorepower may be:
  • There's no need for electrical power.
  • Batteries charger and other equipment get electrical energy by other means, like:
    • Powered generator, perhaps connected to the vessel's main engine(s)
    • Wind- or solar-powered recharging systems
Boats that are connected to shorepower only need sufficient battery capacity that last until the next shorepower connection.
Batteries on a vessel may be used to power an inverter (SMPS) capable of producing AC which can be used for appliances that requires AC power.












Spreader (container)

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Container crane and spreader.jpg
The spreader is a device used for lifting containers and unitized cargo.
The spreader used for containers has a locking mechanism (called twist lock) at each corner that attaches the four corners of the container. A spreader can be used on a container crane, a straddle carrier and at any other machinery to lift containers.










Straddle carrier

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Straddle-carrier
A Straddle Carrier is a non road going vehicle for use in port terminals and intermodal yards used for stacking and moving ISO standard containers. Straddles pick and carry containers while straddling their load and connecting to the top lifting points via a container spreader. These machines have the ability to stack containers up to 4 high. These are capable of relatively low speeds (up to 30 km/h) with a laden container.

[edit] Gallery

 


 


 


 


 

 

 

Floating production storage and offloading

A floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit is a floating vessel used by the offshore industry for the processing of hydrocarbons and for storage of oil. A FPSO vessel is designed to receive hydrocarbons produced from nearby platforms or subsea template, process them, and store oil until it can be offloaded onto a tanker or transported through a pipeline. FPSOs are preferred in frontier offshore regions as they are easy to install, and do not require a local pipeline infrastructure to export oil. FPSOs can be a conversion of an oil tanker or can be a vessel built specially for the application. A vessel used only to store oil (without processing it) is referred to as a floating storage and offloading vessel (FSO).

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[edit] History

Oil has been produced from offshore locations since the late 1940s. Originally, all oil platforms sat on the seabed, but as exploration moved to deeper waters and more distant locations in the 1970s, floating production systems came to be used.
The first oil FPSO was the Shell Castellon, built in Spain in 1977.
The Sanha LPG FPSO operates offshore Angola, and is the first such vessel with complete onboard liquefied petroleum gas processing and export facilities. It can store up to 135,000 cubic meters of LPG while awaiting export tankers for offloading.[1]
There are so far no LNG FPSOs. In the opposite (discharge and regasification) end of the LNG chain, the first ever conversion of a LNG carrier (Golar LNG owned Moss type LNG carrier) into an LNG floating storage and regasification unit was carried out in 2007 by Keppel shipyard in Singapore.[2] An LNG FPSO works under the same principles an oil FPSO works under, taking the well stream and separating out the natural gas (primarily methane and ethane) and producing LNG, which is stored and offloaded. On July 29, 2009, Shell and Samsung announced an agreement to build up to 10 LNG FPSOs: [3] Likely size and capacity: 456 meters in length and 74 meters in width, with a capacity of 450,000 cubic meters Estimated cost $5b. Already Flex LNG has four contracts for smaller units at the same yard.[4]

[edit] Mechanisms

FPSO diagram
Oil produced from offshore production platforms can be transported to the mainland either by pipeline or by tanker. When a tanker is chosen to transport the oil, it is necessary to accumulate oil in some form of storage tank such that the oil tanker is not continuously occupied during oil production, and is only needed once sufficient oil has been produced to fill the tanker. At this point the transport tanker connects to the stern of the storage unit and offloads oil.
In the early days, the storage units consisted of decommissioned oil tankers, which were stripped down and equipped with process/production facilities (becoming therefore FPSOs), and were connected to a permanent mooring point. Today, there are two main types of FPSOs, those built converting an existing oil tanker, and those that are purpose-built. The FPSO design will depend on the area of operation. In benign waters the FPSO may have a simple box shape or it may be a converted tanker. Generally (but not always) the production lines (risers) are connected to a major component of the vessel, called a Turret, which allows the vessel to rotate in order to head into the wind and reduce environmental forces on the moorings. In relatively calm waters, such as in West Africa, turrets can be located externally to the ship structure, hanging off the bow of the FPSO. For harsher environments like the North Sea, the turret is generally located internally. The turrets and the mooring systems can be designed to be disconnectable or to remain permanently moored. Most ship-shaped FPSOs in the North Sea are purpose-built and are permanently moored.
While most FPSOs are ship-shaped, FPSOs may also be semi-submersible type platforms with storage or may have a cylindrical shape (see Sevan Marine). These are moored in fixed orientation.
An FPSO has the capability to carry out some form of separation process. If the unit does not have such facilities, it is generally referred to as a Floating Storage and Offloading unit (see below), and would be operated in conjunction with a production platform.

[edit] Advantages

Floating production, storage and offloading vessels are particularly effective in remote or deepwater locations where seabed pipelines are not cost effective. FPSOs eliminate the need to lay expensive long-distance pipelines from the oil well to an onshore terminal. They can also be used economically in smaller oil fields which can be exhausted in a few years and do not justify the expense of installing a pipeline. Once the field is depleted, the FPSO can be moved to a new location. In areas of the world subject to cyclones (northwestern Australia) or icebergs (Canada), some FPSOs are able to release their mooring/riser turret and steam away to safety in an emergency. The turret sinks beneath the waves and can be reconnected later.

[edit] Specific types

A floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) is a floating storage device, which is a simplified FPSO without the capability for oil or gas processing. Most FSOs are old single hull supertankers that have been converted. An example is Knock Nevis, ex Seawise Giant, the world's largest ship, which had been converted to an FSO to be used offshore Qatar.
At the other end of the LNG logistics chain, where the natural gas is brought back to ambient temperature and pressure, ships may also be used as FSRUs. A LNG floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) is a floating storage and regasification system, which receives liquefied natural gas (LNG) from offloading LNG carriers, and the onboard regasification system provides natural gas send-out through flexible risers and pipeline to shore.

[edit] Vessels

[edit] Records

FPSO Firenze moored at Hellenic Shipyards, 2007
The FPSO operating in the deepest water depth is the Espirito Santo FPSO from Shell America operated by Brazilian Deepwater Production Ltd (a joint venture between MISC Bhd and SBM Offshore). The FPSO is moored at a depth of 1,800 m in the Campos Basin, Brazil and is rated for 100,000 bpd. The EPCI contract was awarded in November 2006 and first oil was achieved in July 2009. The FPSO conversions and internal turret were done at Keppel Shipyard Tuas in Singapore and the topsides were fabricated in modules at Dynamac and BTE in Singapore.
The world's largest FPSO is the Kizomba A, with a storage capacity of 2.2 million barrels (350,000 m3). Built at a cost of over US$800 million by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, Korea, it is operated by Esso Exploration Angola (ExxonMobil). Located in 1200 meters (3,940 ft) of water at Deepwater block 200 statute miles (320 km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean from Angola, Central Africa, it weighs 81,000 tonnes and is 285 meters long, 63 meters wide, and 32 meters high (935 ft by 207 ft (63 m) by 105 ft).[5]
The world's smallest FPSO is the Crystal Ocean, operating in 137 m of water in the Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania on the Basker Manta Field. It is leased by Roc Oil (Sydney-based international petroleum exploration and production company) from Rubicon Offshore and is operated on their behalf by AGR Asia Pacific; it is currently producing 5,000 bpd.
The FPSO in the shallowest water depth of just 13 m is the Armada Perkasa in the Okoro field in Nigeria, West Africa, for Afren Energy. This spread moored (fixed orientation) vessel uses 100 mm, 150 mm and 200 mm bore DeepFlex non-steel flexible risers in a double lazy wave formation (with weights and distributed buoyancy) to accommodate the large motion offsets in an environment of extreme waves and currents.
The Skarv FPSO, developed and engineered by Aker Solutions for BP Norge, will be the most advanced and largest FPSO deployed in the Norwegian Sea, offshore Mid Norway. Skarv is a gas condensate and oil field development. The development will tie in five sub-sea templates, and the FPSO has capacity to include several smaller wells nearby in the future. The process plant on the vessel can handle about 19 MSm3/d (670 MScf/d) of gas and 13,500 Sm3/d of oil (85,000 bbl/d).[6] An 80 km gas export pipe will tie in to Åsgard transport system. Aker Solutions (formerly Aker Kvaerner) developed the front-end design for the new floating production facility as well as the overall system design for the field and preparation for procurement and project management of the total field development.[7] The hull is an Aker Solutions proprietary "Tentechtm975" design.[8] BP also selected Aker Solutions to perform the detail engineering, procurement and construction management assistance (EPcma) for the Skarv field development. The EPcma contract covers detail engineering and procurement work for the FPSO topsides as well as construction management assistance to BP including hull and topside facilities. The production start for the field is scheduled for August 2011.[9] BP awarded the contract for fabrication of the Skarv FPSO hull to Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea and the Turret contract to SBM. The FPSO has a length of 292m, breadth of 50.6m and is 29m deep and accommodate 100 people in single cabins. The hull will be delivered in January 2010.[7]

[edit] Current FPSOs

Data on operating FPSOs is reported each year in an annual survey.[10]
FPSO Vessel Name↓ Oilfield↓ Current Location↓ Field Operator↓ Newbuild or Conversion
↓
Startup year
↓
Vessel Designer /Operator
↓
Abo FPSO Abo Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria Agip Conversion 2003 Prosafe
Agbami FPSO Nigeria   Star Deep Water Petroleum Newbuild 2008 Chevron
Akpo FPSO Akpo Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria Total Newbuild 2009 Total
Al Zaafarana FPSO Warda Gulf of Suez, Egypt Aker Solutions Conversion 1994 Gemsa Petroleum Co
Anasuria FPSO Teal, Teal South, Guillemot A North Sea, UK Shell Newbuild 1996  
Anoa Natuna Anoa Field, Natuna Sea Indonesia STAR Energy   1990 STAR Energy,KN, Natuna Sea BV
Aoka Mizu Ettrick North Sea, UK Nexen   2009 Bluewater Energy Services
Arco Ardjuna FSO Ardjuna Oil Field West Java Sea, Indonesia Pertamina Hulu Energy   1973 Pertamina
Armada Perkasa Okoro Setu Nigeria Afren/AMNI Conversion 2009 Bumi Armada Berhad
Åsgard A Åsgard North Sea, Norway Statoil Newbuild 1999  
Azurite FDPSO Azurite Atlantic, Republic of the Congo Murphy Oil Conversion 2009 Prosafe Production
Baobab Ivoirien MV10 FPSO Baobab Field Côte d'Ivoire CNR International S.A.R.L. Conversion 2005 MODEC Inc.
Belanak Belanak Field South Natuna Sea, Indonesia ConocoPhillips Newbuild 2004 KBR / J. Ray McDermott
Berge Helene(OIM Adarsh Shukla) Chinguetti North Atlantic Ocean, Mauretania Woodside Petroleum Conversion 2006  
Bleo Holm Ross, Blake, Parry North Sea, UK Talisman Energy Conversion 1999 Bluewater Energy Services
Bohai Ming Zhu FPSO Penglai19-3, China Bohai, China ConocoPhillips   2003 CNOOC
Bonga FPSO Bonga Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria Shell Newbuild 2005 Samsung Heavy Industries
Brasil FPSO Roncador Campos Basin, Brazil Petrobras Conversion 2002 SBM Offshore
Bunga Kertas FPSO North Lukut & Penara South China Sea, Peninsula Malaysia Petronas Carigali Conversion 2004 DPS/FPSO Ventures
Capixaba FPSO Golfinho Espírito Santo Basin, Brazil Petrobras Conversion 2006 SBM Offshore
Captain FPSO Captain North Sea, UK Chevron Newbuild 1996  
Cidade de Niteroi Jabuti, Brazil Santos Basin, Brazil MODEC (for Petrobras) Conversion 2009 MODEC Inc.
Cidade do Rio de Janeiro MV14 FPSO Espadarte Sul Field Campos Basin, Brazil Petrobras Conversion 2007 MODEC Inc.
Cidade de Vitoria FPSO Golfinho II Espírito Santo Basin, Brazil Petrobras Conversion 2007 Saipem
Cossack Pioneer Cossack, Wanaea Indian Ocean, Australia Woodside Petroleum Conversion 1995  
Cuulong MV9 FPSO Su Tu Den Field Vietnam Cuulong Joint Operating Company (CLJOC) Newbuild 2003 MODEC Inc.
Dalia FPSO Dalia South Atlantic Ocean, Angola Total Newbuild 2006  
Dhirubhai 1 MA-D6 Bay of Bengal, India Reliance Industries Limited Conversion 2008 AFP
Erha OPL 209 Gulf of Benin, Nigeria ExxonMobil Newbuild 2006  
Espadarte FPSO Espadarte Campos Basin, Brazil Petrobras Conversion 2000 SBM Offshore
Espirito Santo BC-10 FPSO Espirito Santo (BC10) Campos Basin, Brazil Shell Americas Conversion 2009 SBM Offshore MISC Bhd
Espoir Ivorien Espoir Gulf of Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire CNR Conversion 2002 Prosafe
Falcon FPSO Currently none Johor River, Malaysia ExxonMobil Conversion   SBM Offshore
Farwah Al-Jurf Mediterranean, Libya Total   2003  
Four Vanguard Woollybutt Indian Ocean, Australia ENI Conversion 2003 Premuda
Gimboa FPSO Gimboa South Atlantic Ocean, Angola Sonangol Conversion 2009 Saipem
Girassol FPSO Girassol South Atlantic Ocean, Angola Total Newbuild 2001  
Glas Dowr Sable Indian Ocean, South Africa PetroSA Newbuild 2003 Bluewater Energy Services
Global Producer III Dumbarton North Sea, UK Maersk Newbuild 2006 Maersk
Greater Plutonio FPSO Block 18 Greater Plutonio South Atlantic Ocean, Angola BP Newbuild 2007 BP
Griffin Venture FPSO Griffin, Chinook, Scindian Indian Ocean, Australia BHP Billiton Newbuild 1994  
Gryphon FPSO Gryphon North Sea, UK Maersk   1993  
Hæwene Brim FPSO Pierce North Sea, UK Shell Newbuild 1999 Bluewater Energy Services
Jasmine Venture MV7 FPSO Jasmine Field Thailand PEARL Energy Pte Ltd. Conversion 2004 MODEC Inc.
Jotun A Jotun North Sea, Norway ExxonMobil Newbuild 1999 Bluewater Energy Services
Kakap Natuna FPSO Kakap KH field Indonesia ConocoPhillips(Kakap) Ltd. Conversion 1986 MODEC Inc.
Kikeh Kikeh Sabah, Malaysia Murphy Oil Conversion 2007 SBM Offshore MISC Bhd
Kizomba A Hungo, Chocalho South Atlantic Ocean, Angola ExxonMobil Newbuild 2004 SBM Offshore
Kizomba B Kissanje, Dikanza South Atlantic Ocean, Angola ExxonMobil Newbuild 2005 SBM Offshore
Kuito FPSO Kuito Cabinda, Angola Chevron Conversion 1999 SBM Offshore
"Kwame Nkrumah" FPSO Jubilee Fields Gulf of Guinea, Ghana Tullow Oil & Others Conversion 2010 MODEC Inc
MacCulloch FPSO MacCulloch North Sea, UK ConocoPhillips Conversion 1997 Maersk
Maersk Curlew Curlew North Sea, UK Shell Conversion 2002  
Marlim Sul FPSO Marlim Sul Campos Basin, Brazil Petrobras Conversion 2004 SBM Offshore
MODEC Venture 11 FPSO Mutineer-Exeter Field Australia Santos Ltd. Conversion 2005 MODEC Inc.
Mondo FPSO Luanda, Angola Block 15, Angola ExxonMobil Conversion 2008 SBM Offshore
Munin Lufeng, Xijiang South China Sea, China CNOOC Newbuild 1997 Bluewater Energy Services
MV8 Langsa Venture FPSO Langsa field Malacca Strait, Indonesia MEDCO MOECO Langsa Ltd. Conversion 2001 MODEC Inc.
Mystras FPSO Okono, Okpoho Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria Agip Conversion 2004 Saipem
Nganhurra FPSO Enfield Exmouth Sub-basin, Australia Woodside Petroleum Newbuild 2006  
Maersk Ngujima-Yin FPSO Vincent Exmouth Sub-basin, Australia Woodside Petroleum Conversion 2008 Maersk
Norne FPSO Norne North Sea, Norway Statoil Newbuild 1997  
Northern Endeavour Laminaria, Corallina Timor Sea, Indonesia Woodside Petroleum Newbuild    
Perintis MASA field South China Sea, Peninsular Malaysia Petronas Carigali Conversion 1999 Aker Kvaerner/M3Nergy;
Petrojarl Banff Banff North Sea, UK CNR Newbuild 1999 Teekay Petrojarl;
Petrojarl Foinaven Foinaven North Atlantic, UK BP Conversion 1997 Teekay Petrojarl
Petrojarl I Glitne oilfield North Sea, Norway Statoil Newbuild 2001 Teekay Petrojarl
Petrojarl Varg Varg North Sea, Norway Talisman Energy Newbuild 1999 Teekay Petrojarl
Pertroleo Nautipa FPSO Etame South Atlantic Ocean, Gabon Vaalco Energy Conversion 2002 Fred Olsen Production, Prosafe
Polvo FPSO Polvo South Atlantic Ocean, Brazil Devon Energy Conversion 2007 Prosafe
Rang Dong 1 Rang Dong South China Sea, Vietnam JVPC, Nippon Oil Conversion 1998 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Raroa II Maari Tasman Sea, New Zealand OMV Conversion 2008  
Ruby Princess FPSO Ruby South China Sea, Vietnam Petrovietnam Conversion 1998 Prosafe
Ruby II FPSO Ruby South China Sea, Vietnam Petronas Carigali Vietnam Ltd Conversion 2010 MISC Bhd
Sanha LPG FPSO Angola   Chevron Newbuild 2005 Chevron
Saxi-Batuque FPSO Luanda, Angola Block 15, Angola ExxonMobil Conversion 2008 SBM Offshore
Schiehallion FPSO Schiehallion North Atlantic, UK BP Newbuild 1998 Harland & Wolff
Sea Eagle FPSO EA Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria Shell Newbuild 2003  
SeaRose FPSO White Rose Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada Husky Energy Newbuild 2005  
Seillean FPSO Cachalote Esprito Santo Basin, Brazil Petrobras but built for BP Newbuild 1986 Noble Corporation
Serpentina FPSO Zafiro Gulf of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea Exxonmobil Conversion 2003 SBM Offshore
Skarv FPSO Skarv and Idun North Sea, Norway BP Newbuild 2011 BP
Song Doc MV19 FPSO Song Doc Field Vietnam Truong Son Joint Operating Company (TSJOC) Conversion 2008 MODEC Inc.
Stybarrow MV16 FPSO Stybarrow Field Exmouth Sub-basin, Australia BHP Billiton Petroleum Newbuild 2007 MODEC Inc.
Terra Nova Terra Nova Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Canada Suncor Newbuild 2002  
Triton Bittern, Guillemot West, Guillemot Northwest North Sea, UK Amerada Hess Newbuild 2000  
Uisge Gorm FPSO Fife, Fergus, Flora, Angus North Sea, UK Amerada Hess Conversion 1995 Bluewater Energy Services
Umuroa FPSO Tui Tasman Sea, New Zealand Australian Worldwide Exploration Conversion 2007 APS/Prosafe Production
Xikomba FPSO Xikomba Block 15, Angola ExxonMobil Conversion 2003 SBM Offshore
Yunus FSO BDR3 Mediterranean Syriah & N.T.J. Group Conversion 1998 Syriah & NTJ Group
Yúum K'ak'náab FPSO Ku-Maloob-Zaap field Gulf of Mexico PEMEX Newbuild 1998 BW Offshore AS, Norway