Vito FPS: Designing a Simple, Light-Weight, Single Lift Topsides

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the design of the Vito topsides production train and the overall approach to achieve a minimum technical scope, a simplistic design, and limit the payload to 10,000 st. A 10,000 st topsides target was utilized in order to fabricate a single topsides module and integrate the deck with the hull in a single lift, which were key enablers to maximize flexibility and efficiency in construction and commissioning. Efforts to design the topsides production train included focusing on an integrated approach with the wells and flow assurance teams to optimize the end-to-end design and enable the elimination of unnecessary topsides equipment, thereby reducing the total topsides footprint and weight. The topsides design focused on an "industry solution," by partnering with industry firms to evaluate the minimal equipment required to meet the nameplate capacity of 100,000 bopd. Redundant equipment, whose function could be accommodated via other equipment, was eliminated and the production train was optimized as an overall system, rather than focusing on individual equipment design. Key challenges included reducing the overall weight of the original Vito concept by 75% through rigorous evaluations of what the "minimal scope" should include. This was achieved through setting aggressive targets, actively managing design and scope growth to meet the targeted lift weight, designing and operating a facility that "looks different," balancing expected availability of the facility with weight and cost trade-offs, limiting future expandability, and reducing Personnel Onboard (POB). The end result was a radical redesign of the Vito Floating Production System (FPS) with simplified equipment and systems designed against minimum technical specifications, resulting in a weight reduction of the host by ~75% allowing for a much more efficient use of Company's CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) and an industry competitive FPS (Floating Production System). This paper is part of a Vito Project series at OTC 2023, and the other papers are listed in the references.