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In 1993, Richard D’Souza (Fellow), the principal author and his co-authors presented a landmark paper reviewing the Semisubmersible Floating Production System (FPS) technology at the SNAME centennial meeting in New York. (D’Souza et al., 1993a). The paper captured the twenty year progression of the FPS beginning with the Argyll field in the UK Sector of the North Sea in 80 meters of water that was converted from a semisubmersible Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) and began producing in 1975. During this period about twenty five FPSs were installed, primarily in the North Sea and Brazil. Most were converted from semisubmersible MODUs. The deepest was in 625 m, the largest displacing 45,000 mt and the maximum oil rate was 70,000 bopd.

Over forty FPSs have been installed since then, most of which are purpose built platforms. The technology has expanded to a maximum water depth of 2400 m, displacements exceeding 150,000 mt and production rates of 300,000 boepd. The inherent versatility and flexibility of the FPS to adapt to a wide range of water depths, payloads, metocean conditions and future expansion, has resulted in the FPS superseding the Tension Leg Platform (TLP) and the Spar platform as the most widely used floating production platform after the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) platform. Its field development applications range from marginal reservoirs to giant deepwater oil and gas fields across the globe.

This paper, authored by Richard D’Souza with a new team of co-authors, is a sequel to the 1993 paper and is intended as a historical and technical archive of the evolution of the FPS technology in the ensuing twenty five years. It highlights the importance of the Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer whose role has evolved from a peripheral to a major player in the design, fabrication and installation of the FPS. This paper has two objectives. One is to inform Operators and Contractors engaged in developing deepwater fields by providing a historical overview of lessons learned and technology evolution of the FPS. The other is to inspire graduate and post graduate Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers to consider a career in the offshore industry where they will have an impactful role in shaping the future of deepwater floating production platforms.

Is the Cloud Mature Enough for High-Performance Computing? Data volumes are growing at an exponential rate. How can high-performance computing solutions help operators manage these volumes? Will faster, stronger processors and cloud computing solutions be the answer? Last year saw continued contraction in the seismic data-acquisition industry.

Decommissioning and abandonment comes with its share of unexpected surprises, but many of those surprises could be avoided merely through better planning and care. The next big wave of decommissioning and abandonment projects is set to occur in the Asia-Pacific region, and APAC’s operators are now tasked with finding cost- and time-effective ways of unwinding their huge agglomeration of wells and facilities. A panel of executives, project managers, and government regulators involved with the Mad Dog project in the US Gulf of Mexico discuss the importance of collaboration and strategic alignment in project development.

Operators are increasingly using existing offshore infrastructure for asset life extension, and developing new marginal stranded fields rather than develop new large greenfields. Subsea processing is an enabling technology in this goal. A cybersecurity director outlines the steps needed to adopt a risk-based cybersecurity program. He cautions that in many cases, process control systems’ confidentiality is mistakenly viewed as a lower priority than IT systems’. AUVs aren’t limited to inspections and pipeline surveys.

This paper introduces a new core-analysis work flow for determining resistivity index (RI), formation factor (FF), and other petrophysical properties directly from an as-received (AR) set of core samples. This paper discusses a study undertaken to gain better understanding of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characteristics of volcanic reservoirs with different lithologies. Is the Cloud Mature Enough for High-Performance Computing? Data volumes are growing at an exponential rate. How can high-performance computing solutions help operators manage these volumes?

The $30.5-billion project is expected to produce 18 mtpa of LNG once it starts up; commissioning is expected sometime in the mid-2020s. Canada’s investment includes $160 million to fund energy-efficient turbines, which the government says will minimize greenhouse gas emissions. One of the largest pre-sanction fields on the UK Continental Shelf, Rosebank, could significantly bolster the company’s UK portfolio. However, the field’s water depth and harsh environment may run development costs into the multibillion-dollar range. After suffering major setbacks, Chevron’s massive Big Foot project finally achieved first oil last November in the US Gulf of Mexico.

The E&P company said that a reduction in its interests for projects off the coast of the West African nations should still happen by the end of this year. This includes the large Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project, which is set to start up in 2022. Drones are becoming an important tool for energy companies looking to improve on-site safety and operational efficiencies, and the industry is looking for the best way to maximize their value. What are some the challenges in getting these programs off the ground? The criticality of above-water riser hull piping requires frequent inspections.

As companies have focused on giant capital investments onshore and offshore to drive growth, they have often focused less on field operations, especially OPEX. This represents an enormous opportunity to address profit squeeze by improving overall cost efficiency in oil and gas projects. Take a closer look at heat exchangers, including the various types and designs available, applications, and selection considerations. This article helps the project engineer, who is not an equipment specialist, to check that economical choices are made across all involved disciplines. The field startup is Hurricane’s first step to actualizing its potentially considerable resources in the UK North Sea.

BP approved an expansion at the Atlantis field in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The $1.3-billion development comes after the company discovered an additional 400 million bbl of oil in place at the Atlantis field, the GOM’s third-largest oil field. Atlantis Phase 3 will include the construction of a subsea production system from eight new wells that will be tied into the current platform, located 150 miles south of New Orleans. Scheduled to come on stream in 2020, the project is expected to boost production at the platform by an estimated 30,000 BOE/D gross at its peak. It will also access the eastern area of the field, where BP located the addition oil in place.

BP is reaping the rewards of its focus on advanced seismic imaging, announcing four significant additions to its oil resources in the Gulf of Mexico, which can be developed using nearby platforms. The discoveries, which are at various stages of development, will help BP expand production in the Gulf of Mexico to 400,000 b/d, up from 300,000 b/d currently. BP has approved subsea development of 400 million bbl of oil in place near its Atlantis platform. The $1.3 billion project, Atlantis Phase 3, will tie back eight new wells to the platform located 150 miles south of New Orleans. BP plans to bring the project on line in 2020 with peak production of 38,000 b/d, and future developments are expected.