Floating production, storage and offloading 101
A floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit is an offshore production facility, typically ship-shaped, which processes raw oil from wells located on the seabed. FPSO units are connected to a wellhead platform or seabed wells through a series of flexible tubes called risers.
An FPSO receives oil from the seabed, processes it to remove impurities, such as water, gas, sand and stones, and stores it on board before offloading to shuttle tankers.
FPSOs are suitable for a wide range of field sizes and water depths and can be either purpose built - at a cost ranging from USD 100 million to over USD 1 billion - or converted from an existing oil tanker.
FPSO advantage
FPSOs are well-suited for harsh weather regions and deepwater oil fields of up to 8,000 feet, where a fixed installation and pipeline may not be feasible. These units are also resuable and often a more cost effective solution for smaller oil fields.
About Teekay Offshore's FPSO units
Petrojarl Varg (2.9 MB, PDF)
- Operating on long-term, fixed-rate charter on the Varg field in the North Sea
- Acquired from Teekay Corporation September 2009
- Built 1999
- Processing capacity: 57,000 bbls/day
- Storage capacity: 450,000 bbls
Petrojarl Cidade de Rio das Ostras
- Following conversion, will service the Aruana field, located in Brazil’s Campos Basin, through 2017
- Acquired from Teekay Corporation October 2010
- Built 1981