ABB GLOBAL DETAILS DESIGN FOR WELL FLOATER TURRET MOUNTED FPS

ABB Global Engineering AS of Asker, Norway, has disclosed details of its new Well Floater turret moored floating production system (FPS) design intended to compete with tension leg platforms (OGJ, Aug. 17, p. 59). As many as 37 dry wellheads are housed in a large buoyant turret. The vessel is rated to handle production in water depths exceeding 300 m and needs no tethering. The large number of wellheads enables drainage of scattered wells to be concentrated, thus making the design suitable for

Dec. 14, 1992

2 min read

As many as 37 dry wellheads are housed in a large buoyant turret. The vessel is rated to handle production in water depths exceeding 300 m and needs no tethering.

The large number of wellheads enables drainage of scattered wells to be concentrated, thus making the design suitable for remote locations.

Project Manager Tor Helge Ovrevik cited as examples of the type of fields suitable for the Floater Troll oil and gas field in the Norwegian North Sea, Midgard on the Haltenbanken off Central Norway, and Snohvit in the Barents Sea.

DESIGN PARAMETERS

ABB estimates Well Floater's capital and operating costs at an equivalent $5-6/bbl. Construction time is pegged at 30 months and installation or removal at 3 weeks.

The production unit can be easily modified and relocated to another field, said ABB, while gas export is possible via pipeline.

The concept is based on a monohull ship with passive anchoring and dynamic positioning. The turret houses 21-37 buoyancy tensioned rigid risers inside a shielded moonpool. ABB said all turret components are based on existing equipment used offshore and onshore.

The hull is based on the Tentech 1030 design, developed by Tentech International AS and configured like the Tentech 850 vessel destined for Gryphon field off the U.K.

Length is 970 ft, breadth 170 ft, depth 95 ft, and draft 60 ft. Displacement is 200,000 dwt, with oil storage capacity of 920,000 bbl and production capacity 140,000 b/d of oil.

A cost estimate for a vessel with 80,000 b/d of oil production capacity came to 4.75 billion kroner ($760 million).