【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】1777–2024: Asia’s First Cylindrical “Offshore Oil and Gas Processing Plant” Launched

Thread Content

Happy May Day 2024! Safety first. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************[A Decade of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment] Continuous updates and summaries available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** On May 12, 2024, the Asia’s first cylindrical “offshore oil and gas processing plant” – the “Sea Anemone-1” – was launched from CNOOC’s international high-end equipment manufacturing base in Qingdao. Designed and built by the Tianjin-based company Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd., this facility lays the foundation for the operational start of China’s first deep-water oil field development project this year.   “Aquarius-1” integrates functions such as crude oil production, storage, and transportation. It is the world’s first \"digitalized\" cylindrical floating production, storage, and offloading unit that incorporates various systems such as an integrated marine monitoring system, a data integration platform, and a mechanical equipment health management system. Comprising a hull and upper functional modules, it is made up of nearly 600,000 components. Its maximum oil storage capacity is 60,000 tons. It was designed to withstand once-in-a-century severe sea conditions, has a design lifespan of 30 years, and can operate at sea continuously for 15 years without needing to return to a dock.   According to Liu Huaxiang, general manager of the Deep Water Engineering Construction Center at CNOOC Shenzhen Branch, the \"HaiKui-1\" does not have its own propulsion system and cannot sail on its own at sea. To reduce travel time as well as transportation risks such as damage caused by seawater currents and typhoons, it needs to be loaded onto a semi-submersible transport ship like cargo, and transported to the Pearl River Delta area using the method of a larger ship carrying a smaller one, so that it can be installed there.   The main deck of “Sea Anemone 1” has a maximum diameter of 90 meters; its area is equivalent to that of 13 standard basketball courts. Its height is close to that of 30 floors, and its total weight is equivalent to that of 30,000 cars. The draft of the ship is close to the limit set by waterways, which means it can only set sail during high tides. There are only 3 days each month when the weather conditions permit operations.   Cylindrical structures have a high center of gravity, poor stability, and are prone to deflection, making positioning very difficult. The loading process requires the close coordination of 6 ships, which work together like threads guiding a needle to precisely load the \"Sea Anemone 1\" into its designated position, with an accuracy requirement of no more than 50 millimeters. By releasing ballast water and taking advantage of tidal forces as well as the high buoyancy of seawater, the \"Sea Anemone 1\" is lifted into place. The technical complexity of this operation is the highest among similar loading tasks in the industry, imposing extremely strict requirements on scheme design, computational analysis, and on-site supervision. Shu Wei, the general manager of CNOOC Offshore Engineering’s secondary development project for the Liuhua 11-1/4-1 oil field, explained.   To this end, the project leveraged China’s domestic resources by deploying the country’s largest and the world’s second-largest semi-submersible vessel, the \"Xinguanghua\", for loading and transportation. For the first time in the loading of large-scale offshore platforms in China, positioning technology that combines catchers, automatic total stations, and underwater cameras was utilized. The design for the dry tow transportation of cylindrical FPSOs was completed independently for the first time, with all related tasks such as the development of technical solutions, complex calculations and analyses, and construction management carried out autonomously, ensuring that the \"HaiKui-1\" was loaded and positioned with precision. This approach helped achieve full autonomy in the entire process of loading and towing ultra-large cylindrical floating production units in China.   It is reported that after being shipped, \"Sea Anemone-1\" will head to the Pearl River Estuary basin, located over 1,200 nautical miles from Qingdao, for retrieval and installation. Drawn by 12 mooring cables each measuring 2,570 meters in length, it will operate in waters at a depth of 324 meters, capable of processing approximately 5,600 tons of crude oil per day. The secondary development project of the Liuhua Oil Field, where this project is located, was the first in China to adopt the development model of \"deep-water jacket + cylindrical FPSO\", offering a new option for the efficient development of deep-water oil and gas fields in China.