ABS Adopts New Guidelines, Programs for FPSOs, Semis

Updated regulations by class society ABS will help them evaluate new-build and conversion FPSOs based on today's knowledge.

Offshore class society ABS is adopting new structural requirements for the analysis of floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSOs.) A major revision and update of the society's "Guide for Floating Production Installations" is due to be released soon based on ABS' previous experience classing 50 FPSO units - both newbuilds and conversions.

Managing Principal Engineer Xiaozhi (Christina) Wang, of ABS Corporate Research & Product Development said the new requirements apply FPSO-specific loading conditions and prescribe strength assessment procedures to be followed. "The FPSOs of today and the future require us to think differently," Wang said. "Previous class requirements applicable to these vessels have been based on the Rules for trading tankers. The approach has served the industry well for many years but our knowledge base and new technology now allow us to more explicity consider these specialized vessels."

Continued demand for single and double hull tanker conversions, specialized enviromental loads and operational loading conditions, and the structural and loads interface between the much larger and heavier topsides production facilities and the hull were among the many issues that spurred the decision by ABS to re-evaluate the Rules that specifically apply to FPSOs.

ABS' Sea Environment Assessment Sytem (SEAS) software also has been improved to better address the effects of environmental loads for the strength and fatigue assessment for FPSO conversions, taking into account the prior trading routes as a tanker and the site and transit conditions as an FPSO.

Current estimates for FPSO fleet growth project another 25 units in 2008 and a possible 106 to 126 units within the next five years.

In other news, ABS has developed an offshore structural assessment program designed for mobile offshore drilling units, specifically semisubmersibles. The software allows designers to efficiently check against ABS MODU Rules in order to meet classification requirements. "This software simplifies the complex and time consuming task of creating a comprehensive assessment of wave conditions that can be expected at specific locations or are specified by the owner," said Pao-Lin Tan, Manager of ABS Corporate Research & Product Development.

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