FPSO Conceptual Design for Brazil's Tupi Field Revitalization Project Receives Approval in Principle

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 5, Lloyd's Register granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to the conceptual design of the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit that Petrobras intends to use for the Tupi Field Revitalization Project (REVIT I TUPI). The project is located in the Santos Basin, Brazil, and is intended to be based on the detailed design of the in-service P-68 FPSO, with production processes and equipment systems adjusted to meet the development requirements of the Tupi field. This approval marks the passing of the classification society's preliminary technical review of the new unit's conceptual design, and the project now enters the subsequent engineering design refinement phase.

The REVIT I TUPI project adopts a modification approach based on an existing FPSO design. Petrobras selected the P-68 unit currently operating in the Santos Basin as the design reference, retaining the existing mature design basis while making targeted adjustments to the production processing flow and related equipment systems. The P-68 currently serves the Berbigão and Sururu fields in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin, and the design documentation of the in-service unit serves as an important technical basis for the conceptual development of the new project.

Lloyd's Register's review covered the FPSO preliminary design documents, including process flow diagrams, piping and instrumentation diagrams, equipment technical specifications, and supporting engineering technical study materials. The reviewers assessed the proposed unit's design scheme in accordance with applicable industry technical requirements, found no fundamental technical issues that would prevent the concept from proceeding to the subsequent engineering development phase, and concluded that the scheme is capable of further development into a safe and implementable engineering design.

In response to the differences between the original P-68 design and the requirements of the new Tupi field unit, Lloyd's Register also reviewed the project's design change management methodology. The review scope included the identification of changes to the original design configuration, assessment of change impacts, and the management procedures for implementing design modifications during subsequent engineering development and the project implementation cycle. This part of the work is directly related to the proposed FPSO's process adjustments, equipment configuration changes, and subsequent system design.

Vahid Andaji Garmaroudi, Head of the Energy Business Technical Support Office at Lloyd's Register, noted in the official announcement that offshore oil and gas developers are increasingly adopting mature FPSO designs for new project development in order to shorten project delivery cycles, reduce engineering complexity, and leverage the operating experience of existing units. Lloyd's Register will continue to participate in technical cooperation during the subsequent engineering development phase of the REVIT I TUPI project.