Hull Design and Operational Challenges for a Normally Unattended FPSO in Offshore Brazil

Abstract

Abstract For many offshore developments, there is a drive to reduce the offshore facility's manpower requirements during operations and maintenance activities to improve personnel safety and to reduce operational expenditures. This paper presents key hull design features for a Normally Unattended FPSO (NUFPSO) for Brazil offshore operations. The overall objective is to develop a conceptual hull design for NUFPSO that will minimize the need for marine onboard personnel during operations, inspection, and maintenance activities while also maintaining the overall asset safety and operability. The associated challenges for remotely operating the NUFPSO are also highlighted, while leveraging several decades of Petrobras’ FPSO operational experience. The paper also highlights the importance of integrating advanced technologies (such as remote monitoring /control and robotics) with a modified hull design to support the NUFPSO concept.