New FPSO Design Guidelines

The UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA) has published Design Guidance Notes for FPSOs for UKCS Service to assist owners, operators and designers. This is the first time that there has been a single set of guidelines on the design of FPSOs destined for service on the UK Continental Shelf. This study intends to draw the attention of owners, operators and designers to the particular requirements of FPSOs, especially those operating in the harsh environment of the UKCS.

The narrative of these Guidance Notes will in the first instance assist owners and operators in the early stages of a project, following the selection of an FPSO concept.

It will also be of value to designers during front-end engineering and in the early stages of detailed design. The guidelines were produced following discussions with owners, operators, designers, constructors and consultants of UKCS FPSOs, the research of the Health and Safety Executive in this field, guidance issued by UKOOA, NORSOK, etc and various classification society rules. The guidelines deal with general considerations influencing FPSO selection and design with specifics relating to marine and structural and production facilities. They also address UK Safety Case and environmental regulations, other relevant UK and international legislation as well as classification society requirements and industry standards such as MARPOL and NORSOK. This publication can be downloaded from UKOOA site free of charge.