Oil spills from floating production & storage craft: Contingency & response considerations (2006)

Alex Hunt

Article in Marine Matters, Standard Club, July 2006

As exploitation of undersea oil moves further offshore floating production and storage systems offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional fixed platforms and seabed pipelines. Floating systems come in a variety of designs depending on the requirements of the oil field, but due to their versatility, FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading units) are a particularly popular choice.

Whilst the number of spills from FPSOs and other floating systems are few, their popularity is increasing and it seems prudent to plan for such an event. Bearing in mind the varying arrangements between different governments and offshore operators in oil producing countries, this article considers the response options for dealing with a large-scale spill from one of these offshore craft.

Categories: Response Techniques, Planning & operations, Papers