An impeccable record Aker Floating Production

AN IMPECCABLE RECORD AN IMPECCABLE RECORD

Aker Floating Production is currently focusing all its operations on one floating production, storage and offloading platform, off the coast of India. Abigail Saltmarsh looks at FPSO Dhirubhai-1.

Harvard Garseth, managing director of Aker Floating Production, is proud of his company’s record. Headquartered in Oslo, it is operating a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) platform 50 km off the shore of Kakinada, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, and in the first quarter of 2012 it saw 100 per cent up-time.

“This is down to our continuous efforts and our focus on safety,” he says. “We are of the opinion that if you focus on safety, it has a spin-off effect on up-time and on the regularity of the vessel’s production.

“This is all down to the competency of the team - and the fact there is no lost time through incidents.” Part of the group

Aker Floating Production’s history only goes back as far as 2006. Then, its parent group, Aker, entered into strategic contracts with Jurong shipyard for its first FPSO conversion project.

The Aker Group, takes its name from the River Aker, which runs through Oslo. Aker is involved in seafood and biotechnology, but is probably best known as an energy company. It describes itself as an “industrial incubator”.

Aker provides oilfield products, systems and services for customers in the oil and gas industry worldwide. The group’s knowledge and technologies span from reservoir to production and through the life of a field.

It brings together engineering and technologies for oil and gas drilling, field development and production. The group employs approximately 25,000 people in more than 30 countries. They apply the knowledge and create and use technologies that deliver their customers’ solutions.

Change in focus

In 2007, Aker Floating Production entered a charter contract and an FPSO operation contract with the Indian oil company Reliance Industries Ltd, for FPSO Dhirubhai-1. This left the conversion yard the following year, hooked up on the east coast of India and commenced oil production. It began to export gas to shore in 2009.

“Originally, our strategy was to pursue other projects,” says Mr Garseth. “But as we moved forward and the global financial crisis hit, and there was a dip in the market, we had to have a change in strategy.

“At the beginning of this year, the board took the decision, based on the experience of the mother company, not to pursue any new projects. We went from being a company that pursued new projects and then took on their maintenance to focusing on just operation and maintenance.”

High standards

Kakinada is a small coastal town in Andhra Pradesh, situated 60km north of Rajahmundry. The nearest commercial airport is Rajahmundry which is 60km south-east of the town. Limited flights are operated from this airport.

FPSO Dhirubhai-1 is operating off Kakinada at a water depth of 1200m. It has an oil production capacity of 60,000 barrels – 80,000 barrels of liquid – per day and is currently exporting close to nine million standard cubic metres of gas to onshore consumers.

The FPSO is designed and built to operate in the field for at least 20 years. It works in waters that are occasionally struck by typhoons, and it is therefore equipped with a disconnectable turret mooring system. This allows the vessel to safely leave the area when a typhoon is approaching, and quickly reconnect and start production again as soon as it has passed.

AFP Operations are certified according to the ISO 9001 and 14001 standards and the ISM code.

Monitoring the situation

After FPSO Dhirubhai-1 came into full production in 2008, it did have to shut down for three months, explains Mr Garseth.

“There was an incident that needed repairs,” he continues. “Since then, however, we have been operating with very high regularity, and the vessel has been optimised at all times.

“Deep studies and in-depth critical analysis are ongoing to ensure potential hazards are detected in good time and problems are mitigated. We have an excellent team both out in India and in Oslo.”

The plan, he says, is to continue to assess the situation and to reshape Aker Floating Production’s strategy. The board is monitoring the international economic climate and keeping its options open.

“We are not pursuing further projects at the moment but that is not to say we won’t again in the future,” he adds. “For now, however, the focus is very much on FPSO Dhirubhai-1.” n