FUEL PRODUCTION AND STORAGE VESSELS A NECESSARY RISK IN OIL PRODUCTION? Around the world we have aged oil tankers being used as fuel storage vessels, fuel offloading and transfer vessels and holding vessels attached to oil platforms that are periodically off-loaded.
FPSO Cidade do Rio de Janiero whose hull cracked in 2019
The vessels used are usually retired tankers that no longer transport oil at sea, primarily as they are single skinned hulls so the risk of pollution from grounding in significant or are environmentally not able to access all ports due to environmental emissions. The focus on the use of these vessels has increased over the last few years as the world’s eyes have turned on FSO Safer currently moored off Yemen. Constructed in 1976 as an oil tanker and converted a decade later to be a floating storage facility for oil, the FSO Safer is moored about 4.8 nautical miles off the coast of Al Hodeidah Governorate. The 376-metre-long vessel contains more than one million barrels of light crude oil – four times the amount spilled by the Exxon Valdez. With no maintenance operations undertaken on the Safer since 2015 due to the conflict, its structural integrity has significantly deteriorated and the vessel is at imminent risk of spilling oil due to leakages or an explosion. A significant spill would quickly surpass national capacity and resources to mount an effective spill response. The result would be catastrophic, devastating the Yemen coast, destroying livelihoods and forcing a closure of the ports of Al Hodeidah and As Salif which are essential for the importation of commercial imports and life-saving humanitarian assistance. Depending on the season and prevailing wind and
FSO Safer – in much earlier times!
currents, the environmental impact would also affect Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, and could disrupt vital shipping through the Bab alMandab Strait and the Red Sea. In the case of FSO Safer access to the vessel is difficult. Yemen is in a state of war with Houthi rebels. Their actions possibly supported by Iran, Libya and Hezbollah, have threatened Saudi Arabia who intervened in support of the Yemen government to protect their interests. Consequently, whilst the government of Yemen is formally in control, the Houthi rebels have significant influence on how control is exercised. This has threatened the ability of the government to undertake the vital maintenance work on the FSO Safer. Consequently, she is now unmaintained and URGENT offloading is necessary to avoid a major environmental incident. The UN, with considerable IMO support, have negotiated access to enable FSO Safer to be offloaded into another vessel. This plan has been agreed by the Yemen
Government, UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council about a deal to transfer the oil from the FSO Safer. Mr Griffiths gave no details of the deal but Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, told reporters later that progress “as always in Yemen, needs to be solidified in order to be taken forward”. For the sake of the environment let us all hope this initiative does achieve its goal and eliminates the risk FSO Safer currently presents. In August 2019, Japanese offshore platform operator MODEC reported cracks in the hull of the FPSO Cidade do Rio de Janeiro causing a small oil leak. The FPSO was one of the many offshore production facilities that Petrobras reported it would be decommissioning at maturing oil fields, but others remain in service around the globe. Off the Nigerian coast on 3 February an explosion occurred on board FPSO Trinity Spirit, a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel built in 1976, she measured 1,105ft and had a capacity of 274,774dwt. Following the explosion, a fire engulfed the vessel. Whilst it was not clear of the amount of oil on board the fire is thought to have consumed whatever it was carrying which are thought to be residues. The oil field that it served had not been is use for 2 years.
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On board were a crew of 10 and it is thought that some survived. FPSO Trinity Spirit was converted into an FPSO vessel almost 50 years ago and its equipment was a contributory factor, along with the Nigerian oilfield operator going into receivership and, perhaps, regulatory and enforcement issues.
