CASE STUDY

Vipo collaborates with Altera Infrastructure on FPSO KNARR retrofit

After operating in the North Sea, Altera Infrastructure's FPSO Knarr is being repositioned to a new field in the British sector of the North Sea. Before starting operations at the new location, the vessel is undergoing an extensive modification campaign at a shipyard in Dubai, conducted by a joint venture between the shipyard and a strategic engineering partner.

During the final stages of the project, it was identified that several heat-traceable GRE piping lines, responsible for supplying fire-fighting water to hose stations and monitors, would need to be replaced. The need arose due to new requirements for resistance to explosive loads, established for the new operational configuration – requirements that did not apply in the unit’s previous operation.

To avoid impacting on the overall modification schedule, Altera Infrastructure, together with the shipyard, opted to replace the GRE pipes with the Elastopipe™ system with heat tracing. The choice was based on a number of technical and
operational benefits:

  • Reduced engineering complexity
  • Significantly shorter material delivery times
  • Faster and simpler installation
  • Lower total installed cost compared to rigid piping systems

The installation of approximately 1,000 meters of 3” ElastopipeTM with integrated heating cable is scheduled to be completed by the end of July. The solution not only met the new technical requirements but also contributed to maintaining the project schedule – a critical factor in operations of this size.