South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean obtained ABS Basic Design Review (BDR) certification for its standardized FPSO design, a platform conceived for deepwater production projects in South America and West Africa.
The assessment covers the unit’s FEED engineering phase for the floating production, storage and offloading facility. ABS reviewed essential project documentation and the technical standards applied to systems such as the hull, surface facilities or topsides, and the mooring system.
In this way, Hanwha Ocean advances its strategy of using a replicable FPSO platform for different offshore developments in two of the world’s leading deepwater production markets.
ABS reviews FEED engineering for the FPSO design
In addition to the BDR certification, ABS issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design. The assessment includes features incorporated into the FPSO to meet the requirements associated with the SUSTAIN-2 notation.
This process enables key aspects of an offshore facility to be assessed from the earliest engineering phases before moving on to later stages of the project.
Specifically, the technical review covered elements that determine an FPSO’s performance during operations. These include the hull structure, the topsides where the process systems are located, and the mooring configuration required to keep the unit on station.
ABS also issued a Statement of Facts related to Hanwha Ocean’s Project Sustainability Execution Plan (PSEP).
This plan links sustainability requirements to engineering deliverables, key performance indicators, responsibilities, and verification evidence during project execution.
Hanwha Ocean backs a standardized FPSO
Hanwha Ocean’s approach aims to have a floating platform that can be used as the basis for different large-scale projects.
Compared with designs developed specifically for each field, a standardized architecture makes it possible to reuse previously assessed engineering solutions and later adapt the platform to the specific conditions of each offshore development.
Hanwha Ocean plans to deploy the design in South America and West Africa, regions where deepwater oil and gas projects are being developed.
The company is integrating this work into the development of its Low Carbon Standard FPSO platform, incorporating sustainability criteria from engineering through to the execution of future projects.
Matt Tremblay, ABS Senior Vice President of Global Offshore Markets, noted that both regions are key hubs for global deepwater production. He also underscored ABS’s technical capability and regional presence to support projects across their different development phases.
The design follows pre-FEED work in West Africa
The current certification follows earlier work carried out by Hanwha Ocean for deepwater oil and gas fields in West Africa.
The company had completed an independent pre-FEED engineering study for this market. ABS also granted an Approval in Principle for that development.
Both programs are part of Hanwha Ocean’s strategy to build a portfolio of standardized FPSO designs targeting major offshore production markets.
The aim of this model is to shorten execution timelines and improve cost competitiveness through previously developed platform designs.
Philippe Levy, President of Hanwha Ocean’s EPU unit, said ABS’s certification supports the company’s engineering capabilities in the FPSO segment. According to the executive, the company intends to use its standardized platform to strengthen its position in the international market and tailor each solution to the requirements of the main offshore regions.
Source and photo: ABS
