Shanghai firm names FPSO modified on Changxing Island
A large offshore oil and gas plant with a storage capacity of 1 million barrels – a floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) modified on Changxing Island in Chongming District – could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 120,000 tons annually.
On the afternoon of April 3, COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry in Shanghai officially named the very large crude oil carrier (VLCC) modification they did for Yinson Bergenia Production B.V. The vessel was dubbed the Maria Quiteria.
The FPSO Maria Quiteria has a length of 333.3 meters, a width of 58 meters, a depth of 31.25 meters, storage capacity of 1 million barrels, and a daily processing capacity of 100,000 barrels of oil and 5 million cubic meters of natural gas.
It will be deployed in the Jubarte oilfield in the northern Campos basin off the southeastern coast of Brazil, with an operating depth of 1,400 meters.
This is the first FPSO project undertaken by Shanghai COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry for VLCC repair, life extension, modification, full module lifting, integration, and commissioning.
Since the ship entered the factory on January 19, 2022, Shanghai COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry has adhered to exceptional standards over every inch of the vessel. Beginning at a high point, the company applied high standards, ensured high-quality materials, planned efficiently, utilized 3D modeling efficiently and strategically. Its production design, material and equipment procurement, ship repair and modification, equipment installation, EPC construction of living quarters, upper module lifting and integration, and FPSO debugging was state of the art.
After 27 months, it has successfully completed the FPSO repair and modification, including module integration, mechanical completion, and assisted in whole ship debugging. The modification cycle was shortened by six months compared to similar types of FPSOs.
The Maria Quiteria is equipped with a waste gas and waste heat steam power generation system, which uses high-pressure steam pipelines to collect and transmit waste heat steam used in power generation. This allows the FPSO to operate both gas turbines and waste heat steam power generation systems, greatly improving energy utilization efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, and meeting the demand for offshore operations.
The FPSO will be leased by Petrobras and is the first ship to undergo ANP inspection at a Chinese shipyard, and passed all inspections within five days.
After delivery, it will be towed directly to the Brazilian oil field for subsea fixation, connection of oil pipes and other oil production preparation work, setting a record for the shortest time in the world for similar FPSO retrofitting cycles.
Once in operation, the FPSO is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 120,000 tons per year, equivalent to the annual CO2 absorption of 460,000 broad-leaved trees covering 330 hectares, demonstrating the brand and capabilities of state-owned enterprises in the international clean energy field.
This is the sixth FPSO marine engineering project undertaken by Shanghai COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry, reinforcing that the company can capably complete the entire chain of such modifications.