Environmental monitoring system for Usan FPSO commissioned

Equipment & Technology - June 21, 2012

A new environmental and marine monitoring system has been designed and commissioned by Fugro GEOS for Total’s new-build Usan FPSO in Nigeria.

The real-time meteorological and marine data essential for safe offshore operations are provided by sensors located on a surface Wavescan buoy together with a range of instrumentation onboard the facility.

Fugro’s system acquires and processes data and distributes them in real-time via displays in both the radio room and the central control room onboard; it is also interfaced with the FPSO’s DCS (distributed control system).

Real-time metocean (meteorological and oceanographic) data provided by the system include wind, temperature, humidity, pressure, cloud, visibility, precipitation and vessel motion whilst sensors on the Wavescan buoy provide marine parameters such as waves, current profiles and sea temperature.

Fugro’s Wavescan buoys are considered as the industry standard for the sea conditions at Usan and for the range of marine measurements necessary for safe offshore operations.

The sensors have a strong track record and Fugro has successfully designed and installed metocean packages similar to this one on numerous FPSOs, rigs, platforms, TLPs, jack-ups and other vessels around the world.

Connected to forty-two wells at the Usan field, the 320m FPSO is a critical component in Total’s second biggest project offshore Port Harcourt.