shedding light on s operating reality


It will be great to have real data in a con- sistent format. This allows me to rerun it and compare it directly with the design assumptions. The AHMS system processes the measurements and calculates the life- time consumption on board the FPSO.”


However to make these calculations, the design tools are brought on board the FPSO, which is rather unique in the industry. An alternative is to send the data onshore and do the calculations in the office. Didier points out that this on board system is not without its challenges.


Software preparation “Feedback from the industry is that a monitoring system is difficult to run and maintain.” He stresses that in his view to use it efficiently, all the number crunching should be done up front. “When we do data analysis and send everything to shore the engineering company will always get back to you and say what about this missing data/information and so forth. And then if one item was overlooked in the early stages in the monitoring system’s development the results are not matching reality. So everything has to be properly prepared on the software side upfront.


“It should be possible to compare with the design calculations from day 1! The software


should be ready, installed on board and then you can make sure you get consistent results straight away. Because it takes more or less five years from specification to first oil for an FPSO facility, and then you get the first results only two years later, there is always a mismatch and of course, as tech- nology runs very fast, it is almost impossible to predict five years ahead what will be the missing information for the new models.”


Photograph: Igor Sachs – TOTAL E&P Angola


Once Moho Nord and Ichthys are equipped with the AHMS – expected to 2016 and 2017 respectively – it will be possible to have comparison sets of data. “We will be able to use Monitas for comparing actual hull fatigue levels to the predicted ones.” But of course, each facility has its own life, he stresses. “If it is located in the Gulf of Mexico, Nigeria, Angola or Western Australia, each facility will be operating in different weather conditions, the tools used for the design will be different, different contractors… Therefore, it is vital to have actual information for the actual conditions! Each unit should have its own records.”


In his opinion, the downside of sending everything ashore is partly that the amount of information going from site to shore is increasing every day so can become over- whelming. Additionally, he says: “I think if we are gathering information and sending


it to shore for the number crunching often people on site will lose interest. It is prefer- able to have a fully developed software system, fully tested through the entire chain before the unit is on site. It should be operating and working when delivered, and should be able to run calculations, otherwise it will become a secondary issue for the site personnel.”


And because the AHMS compares the life- time consumption predicted during design with the measured lifetime consumption, data has to be provided by/to the operator. Again, obtaining the design data can be challenging, he says.


Big step forward “It is a very difficult exercise to prepare the tools if AHMS is not fully embedded into the design loop of the project. But this is not that easy for many


Directional wave rider buoy


Long base strain gauge


Cargo oil tank report 7


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