Contracts go out for world's largest production barge

In terms of its 1.4 MMbbl storage capacity, the Laminaria production barge to be supplied by Kvaerner will be the world's largest.

Kvaerner and Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) are to collaborate on building the world's largest floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, for Woodside's joint Laminaria/Corallina development in Australia.

This is the first time Kvaerner has acted as main contractor for an FPSO, though it was responsible for engineering the topside facilities for Statoil's Norne production ship in Norway. It has also since won a contract from Esso to provide an FPSO for the Jotun project, also in Norway.

Under the Laminaria contract, which is worth some A$540 million, the joint venture partners will be responsible for design, procurement, fabrication, supervision, commissioning and start-up, and for planned and unplanned maintenance for the first three years of field production, with an option for the whole field-life. Kvaerner attributes its success both to its strength in engineering and procurement, and its presence in Southeast Asia.

Lacking propulsion and a rudder, the Laminaria FPSO will be a production barge rather than a ship. In terms of storage capacity - 1.4 MMbbl - it will be the largest such facility yet built, though its oil processing capacity - 170,000 b/d - is exceeded by both the Norne and Statoil's Åsgard units.

For the Laminaria assignment, Kvaerner is responsible for the turnkey provision of the topside facilities. SBM will provide the 7.8-meter diameter turret and mooring system. The joint venture will also manage the hull and living quarters contract which Woodside let to South Korea's Samsung yard, thus in effect giving it the total ship contract.

The topside facilities will utilize well tried technology. According to Kvaerner, its greatest challenge is the short delivery period. The barge is due to be delivered in November 1998, a mere 23 months after contract award.

International orders

Another challenge will be coordinating the various activities at different locations around the world. Its own team will be based in Oslo, and SBM will be working from Monaco. Woodside's project management team will be based in Perth, apart from a team of a dozen working in Kvaerner's offices.

Most bulk materials will be sourced in Europe. Gas turbines and generator sets have been ordered from Solar Turbines in California, while compressors will be supplied by Dresser from its Le Havre plant in France. Subcontracts for four or five pre-assembled units will be placed with fabricators in Australia or Southeast Asia. The location for assembly and hook-up has yet to be decided.

A few years ago it would not have been thought practical to tackle such a project in this way, but the company is confident it can be done. Kvaerner says it will use IT and modern communications systems to minimize the effects of working at all the different locations. The time difference can be made to work to its advantage - a member of the project team in Oslo can issue a question for the client in Perth before going home at night, and get the answer on arriving back at the office the following day.

Location

The barge will be installed in the Timor Sea, just outside the Zone of Cooperation, in a water depth of approximately 400 meters. The exact location has not yet been decided. Climatic conditions differ markedly from those in the North Sea, for which most newbuild FPSOs are destined. Despite occasional strong winds, the average wave height is only 10 meters, so the wave impacts the barge will have to withstand are greatly reduced, compared with the North Sea.

On the other hand, the average sea water temperature is 28-32! C, and the air is both hot and humid. To counter these conditions, special painting specifications have been developed, and the cooling system will have to be designed very accurately, Kvaerner says.

The barge will have an overall length of 273 metres and width of 50 meters, and a displacement of 222,000 ton. The topside weight will be some 10,000 ton, excluding the turret. Facilities will include compressor trains for re-injecting the surplus associated gas which is not required for fuel or gas lift. The turret will be located near the bow, so that the barge will be able to weathervane without the assistance of thrusters.

Processed oil will be exported into tankers through a 200-meter floating hose. At start-up, the barge will deploy 13 risers - six production, one gas injection, three gas lift and three for umbilicals. But with upside potential at the Laminaria field yet to be fully appraised, provision is being made for an eventual 18-21 risers.

The barge will have a design life of 20 years, which means it will be available for redeployment on a new field once its original assignment is completed.

Copyright 1997 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.