Turret Mooring Design

Some Challenges and Solutions

FPSO Forum 2004

NUS, Singapore
Arun Duggal
FMC SOFEC Floating Systems
www.sofec.com
31 March 2004

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FPSOs are a Mature & Versatile FPS Technology

Over 100 units in operation worldwide
FPSO total > than all other FPS combined
Water depth range 20 m to > 1,400 meters
1 to 100+ risers
10,000 bbl 250,000 bbls/day
Up to 2,000,000+ bbls storage
Benign (West Africa) to Extreme Environments (North Atlantic)
Various flavors:
Turret-moored
Spread-moored
Yoke-moored
Hawser-moored

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Typical Permanent Internal Turret System

Barracuda FPSO: Campos Basin
834m, 34 Risers
Swivel Stack (Product/Lift/Controls)
Manifolds + Pig Launching/Receiving
Anchor Leg + Riser Pull-In Equipment
Bearing (only upper in this case)
Turret Shaft / Riser Guide Tubes
Chain Table (Hawse Pipes/Chain Supports)
6 Anchor Legs + 34 Risers

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Design Considerations
Vessel Particulars

Environment

Water Depth
Waves
Wind
Current

Turret Design

Configuration
Size
Location
Loads

Turret Mooring of
Production Vessels

Fluid-Transfer Requirements

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Well Heads
Subsea Manifolding
Risers
Turret Manifolding
Swivels
Offloading
Pigging

Storage / Tonnage
Topsides Layout
Vessel Motions

Mooring System

Anchor Legs
Anchors
Risers
Thrusters & DP
Control

Some Current Turret Mooring Challenges

More Complex Turret Systems

Large number of risers
Increased requirements for turret mounted equipment
High pressures

Riser Systems for very Shallow or Deep Water

Project Schedule
Short, fast-track schedules
Project Design Basis not well defined
Interfaces and Communication

Installation in Deepwater
Installation engineering, equipment, costs

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Example 1: Fast-Track FPSO for Shallow Water

Su Tu Den FPSO, Vietnam

MODEC, Inc + FMC SOFEC + ConocoPhillips

Newbuild FPSO (80,000 bbl oil/day)

Schedule: Contact to First Oil 19 months

Turret Delivery Schedule 12 months

Shallow Water (48m water depth)

Harsh Environment (100-yr wave of 8.1m Hs)

Large Number of Risers (12)

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Project Milestones

2002 Mar.

Contract Award (LOI)(2002/03/21)

2002 Apr.

Order Long Lead Items bearing, forgings, process

2002 Jun.

Mooring Design Complete

2002 Aug.

Turret Fabrication Begins (MSE)

2002 Oct.

Hull Fabrication Begins (Samsung)

2002 Nov.

Preliminary Riser Design Complete

2002 Dec.

Topside Fabrication Begins

2003 Mar.

Drydock Block Assembly Begins

2003 Apr.

Start Topside Module and Turret Installation

2003 May

Launching

2003 Jul.

Start Shipyard Commissioning

2003 Sep.

Tow Out

2003 Oct.

Offshore Installation

2003 Oct.

1st Oil (2003/10/29)

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STD Turret Mooring Design & Fabrication

Use Standard Components & Design

SOFEC Large External Turret Design

Bearing Capacity exceeds anticipated Design Loads

Allows order of main components before final loads
derived

Design Riser Configuration Flexibility in Chain Table

Design/Fabrication

Clearly Define all Structural and Fluid transfer

Interfaces at Turret Support Structure

Parallel Design and Fabrication Effort

Easy / Quick Integration with Vessel

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Riser & Mooring Design in Shallow Water

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Mooring and Riser Design 2

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Integration of Turret & Vessel

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First Oil: November 2003

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Example 2: Very Large Turret

Application
FPSO weathervaning SPM
Large field (>100,000 bbld)
50 to 100+ risers
Deep to ultra deep water
Worldwide

Weathervaning advantages
Mooring tensions
Tandem offloading

Simplified turret structure

Allows for simple interface with vessel

Robust bearing system

Large Decks for Flowline Manifolding,

and other Equipment

Efficient Mooring & Riser Installation

Equipment

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VLT: Deep Water, Large Capacity Internal Turret

Torque
Arm
Pull-In
Deck
Swivel Stack &
Torque Tube
Piping /
Manifolding

Radial
Bearing
Main
Deck
I-Tubes

Vertical Bearing
Riser Hang-Of
Support Columns

Chain
Table

Anchor Legs

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Chain Supports

Risers & Bend Stifeners

VLT Chain Table

3x3 mooring provides 3

riser corridors

Riser quantity defines chain

table (and turret) diameter
60 risers - 22 m dia
90 risers - 31 m dia
120 risers - 40 m dia

2 riser rows maximum

No shadowing to allow
inner row installation and
replacement

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VLT Main Deck

Supports all loads, including:

Riser hang-off loads
Mooring loads through chain
table and support columns
Turret self weight

Depth-to-diameter ratio is a key

design parameter
Flexibility to move with vessel
Strength to support risers,
mooring and turret weight loads
2.5 m depth / 32 m diameter for a
90 riser VLT

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Conclusions

Turret Moored FPSOs are a Very Mature Technology

Design for Load Transfer is typically not an issue

Current challenges mostly associated with Fluid Transfer

Large Number of Risers
High Pressure
Manifolding
Subsea Intervention & Control

Project Parameters also Impact Turret Mooring Design

Schedule
Fast-track: 18 22 months
Complex systems require more commissioning time

Communication & Interfaces among various contractors / client

Knowledge of others scope of work, issues, etc.

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