hardmano - pls read this !!!!

A quality post from Ozestock on the subject of single vs double skin hulls on FPSO's
From "dkv" .... Well worth a read.

"The FPSOs for West African and Australian service are different.
The FPSO for Mauritania will be spread moored and leased. It is anchored with spread of anchors to permanently hold it in a specific position. This is acceptable in West Africa as the weather is "benign". It is also time consuming and difficult for the vessel to move away. In fact, it is probable the proposed FPSO no longer has an operating engine or even propeller or rudder. All the production flowlines, gas lift lines, etc can be run to the vessel individually as the vessel can not rotate due to the weather. Once it is anchored, it becomes a fixed vessel and not all the SOLAS rules for an operting oil tanker apply.
Oil tankers built in the 1970's and early 1980's were designed more by rules of thumb were made with thicker steel sections. This has allowed their design life to be extended by current design practices.
In Australia, we are subject to cyclones and all the FPSO's have a rotating turret through which all the production line are gathered. This turret is very complicated with multiple production, gas lift and control umbilicals. Woodside for its Australian project I believe is designing for a turret that can disconnect in an emergency or cyclone and allow the vessel to move away. Therefore this vessel at times will be an operating vessel and the SOLAS rules will apply.
Woodsides history of major offshore projects has not been the best:
a. North Rankin was over a year late due to installation problems with its piles.
b. Goodwyn was over a year late with different design problems with its piles.
c. Cossack Pioneer has had weld problems and has been in for repairs as well as upgrades for additional production over the last few years.
d. Regional Endeavour was a project disaster for Kvaerner(EPC Contractor) and contributed to their financial problems. (I am not sure if it was late or over budget)
All I can say is that it is good that for this development, the vessel is going to be leased and is a conversion of an already existing vessel. This increases the probability of the project being on schedule. There are probably also incentives for being on schedule, etc.. There may also be tax advantages in this Mauritania for leasing rather than owning the vessel.

dkv"