A deepwater engineering company Intecsea, a part of the WorleyParsons Group, has launched a range of next generation low-motion (LM) floaters.
Intecsea said on Tuesday that the new series of floaters consisted of the flagship LM-FPSO, the LM-FLNG, and the LM-SEMI.
According to the company, the LM-FPSO can transform the economics of harsh, remote offshore fields with savings of $500m – $1.2 billion per project and is suitable for all water depths.
The riser-friendly LM-FPSO design maintains all the advantages of conventional FPSOs while enabling the use of steel catenary risers (SCRs) and top tensioned risers (TTRs).
What separates the LM-FPSO is the fact that it does not need a turret or swivel which, according to Intecsea, offers additional savings versus traditional solutions.
Intecsea added that the LM technology’s improved stability would make the floater less sensitive to the topside vertical center of gravity and weight changes resulting in reduced risk to the project schedule and cost during execution.
Geeta Thakorlal , President of Intecsea, said: “With the easy oil long gone, operators are increasingly turning to more remote, hostile and often deepwater environments. However, the challenge is the financial viability of these fields. The LM technology is incredibly exciting because it represents a major step forward in improving the economics of these offshore developments.
“The combination of established, field-proven components and motion response verified by model testing has proved the LM technology as a reliable and cost-effective solution for all water depths and environments.”
Also, the LM-FPSO’s motion response enables the application of large diameter SCRs in wet-tree applications as well as the hosting of TTRs in dry-tree applications and well drilling and completions from the floater. None of which is currently feasible on conventional FPSOs due to their inherently high motion response.
The company said that the LM-FPSO is currently undergoing certification by DNV GL.