How to design your SPM for long-term goals
To be sustainable means that the offshore terminal is designed, engineered and managed in such a way that it favours longevity over short-term burn-out. But how does one design, build and operate an offshore terminal with long-term goals in mind?
There is no prescribed one-size-fits-all solution, but in the past 50 years, MARSOL has developed a method that can be applied to both greenfields and brownfields projects. This method helps to find the right solution for each individual terminal, taking into account its risks, OpEx, efficiency and overall goals.
Every business and its terminals are unique, and as such it is important to establish your company goals and fiduciary duties before optimisation or design begins. This type of data collection and analysis will help guide your minimum viable product and steer all actions with the big picture in mind.
Predicting terminal requirements for your long-term vision
Maintenance and preservation, for example, is a good place to start. MARSOL’s preservation practices ensure that the performance of the whole system is consistent throughout its working life. Data may reveal that a specific terminal faces more deterioration on its hoses than another. Adding routine inspections for this terminal will protect you from unforeseen events. Upgrading to a different hose manufacturer could also help you to lower OpEx in the long run.
Through applying integrity-based Inspection Repair and Maintenance (IRM) and creating a marine asset history, MARSOL can establish operations and maintenance philosophies specific to the terminal in question. By modifying associated work programmes periodically, the terminal can stay up to date and reflect changes brought about by any influencing factors and unusual events.
While collecting and analyzing data may take time and effort at first, it will soon become another normal part of project management and the rewards are worth it. By analyzing data collected over time, you will have the opportunity to review your current maintenance programme, identify areas of improvement and design changes on the system components to safely and economically optimise future activities and schedules. This type of long term commitment to optimisation and longevity will help you optimise related OPEX and lower risk.
What does it mean to align your offshore terminal with long term goals?
Lowering risk and OpEx are the first two things that come to mind when you think about the benefits of aligning your offshore terminal to long term goals, but it doesn’t stop there.
Understanding the fluctuating needs of your terminal will help you to prepare for them. This means that you will not overspend when there is low demand and you will not be under-resourced when there is an increase in demand. This type of planning will ensure that efficiency is applied to the right place at the right time.
In managing efficiency, you will also be able to establish the best times for optimisation such as training or major intervention. Planning for these events helps to prevent downtime by investing in reliability.
Reliability is directly linked to your income, but it is also linked to reputation and fiduciary duties are often overlooked. When your offshore terminal is aligned to a long-term vision and its risks minimised, unforeseen events are prepared for and their effects are often therefore well mitigated. By being reliable, you will instil trust with suppliers and clients, but also your teams and the communities affected.
Finally, with a long-term vision in mind, you will know where to invest CapEx and how to guarantee return on investment. Extending marine asset lifespan, for example can only be done responsibly when you have data at your side.
Where to start?
Aligning your offshore terminal to long-term goals starts with data. Get in touch with a reputable service provider who cares as much about your business as you do.
This service provider needs to be experienced in designing and operating terminals throughout its lifespan so that you know the future of your terminal is as well understood as its present and past.
As MARSOL is actively involved in all phases of the SPM life cycle (i.e. from the cradle to the grave), we are in a unique position to understand the typical points of failure over time. We value longevity and take a holistic approach to maximising the Asset’s service life, irrespective of whether MARSOL is contracted by Owners/Operators, Consultants, Contractors or others.
As a commercial and technical marine service solutions provider, MARSOL covers Engineering, Project Management, Operations & Maintenance, Inspection Repair & Maintenance (IRM) and Integrity management among other subsea and maritime services. This means that all influencing factors are taken into account when optimisation occurs.
A closer look at Oil Tanker Operations
For effective SPM functioning, one requires various vessels, resources and protocols to ensure safe and efficient tanker mooring and unmooring at the SPM. Of course, for the entire ecosystem to function, tanker operations must also be accounted for. But what does that entail?
Tanker operations overview and objectives
This ranges from tanker berthing, hose connection and disconnection services to product transfer services and oil spill response services as required at the SPM. It is important that you cater for this with specialist personnel for maintenance and supervisory roles such as Project
Managers, Work Managers, Buoy Maintenance Superintendent, Mooring Master, Dive
Supervisors and Tanker Teams on a short and long-term basis.
To ensure that tanker operations at a Single Point Mooring Marine terminal are safe, on time and consistent in consideration with company requirements, your tanker operations plan should take Operation Manuals, HSE and necessary risk assessments into account.
Pilot Services
Pilot services should maintain that all operational personnel demonstrate a commitment to health, safety and environmental policies, and international best practices during tanker operations.
If you are outsourcing tanker operations, it is important that your service provider acknowledges overall accountability for ensuring that they moor the tanker and unberth it from the buoy in the most efficient and safest manner possible.
Emergency Response Services
As part of your SPM operations and maintenance strategy, you should include studies and plans for pre-emption and fast reaction. In case of an emergency on the terminal, all transfer operations are ceased immediately, and equipment is secured as appropriate. It is necessary that swift and appropriate action be taken to minimise the effect of a contingency and this can only be done with a good plan and well-trained personnel.
Any incident on board a vessel operated should be responded to rapidly and in an efficient manner so that the personnel and asset safety is not compromised and we minimise any environmental impact.
In the case of oil spills, MARSOL firmly believes that prevention is better than cure. That is why we have thorough planning and preemptive studies to prevent them altogether. We help the client to identify high-risk areas during contingency planning which allow us to define priorities for protection in the event of an emergency and plan the appropriate response strategies.
That being said, should an oil spill occur, MARSOL oil spill response team can get the job done.
It is important that the oil spill response team, as part of tanker operations, ensures that the affected areas achieve the acceptable level of cleanliness using cost-effective and environmentally friendly cleaning techniques. Utilising a team of qualified personnel, one should rapidly respond to recover lost hydrocarbons and deliver safe methodologies to minimise the amount of waste generated and impact of any release.
Tanker Operations: Training
It is important that one recognises the importance of developing and training the skill set of local resources. That is why MARSOL has embarked on a continuous improvement programme in improving the knowledge base of our Centre of Excellence, under the management of our Human Resource department.
We recognise that developing local resources is both prudent and cost-effective and adds significant value to the local community.
Conclusion
When dissecting tanker operations you will find that there is far more than meets the eye. At MARSOL, we commit to protecting the reputation of all stakeholders of the terminal, the environment and the personnel involved not only with rapid emergency response but with proven methods and protocols that favour sustainability.
Can you service provider say the same? Get in touch.
Minimise marine asset breakdowns with an offshore maintenance plan
As a specialist in offshore SPM / MBM terminals and related infrastructure, MARSOL offers various services aimed at the optimization of offshore terminals, including Terminal Inspection Repair and Maintenance. While both asset repair and maintenance require dedicated OpEx, there is a definite difference in the way they are approached and the risk that they pose.
Marine asset repair implies failure of components or assets. This type of breakdown can cause downtime, pose safety risks and threat reputational damage in case of negative environmental impact or the like.
On the other hand, to us at MARSOL, Offshore maintenance means to maintain our clients’ marine assets in a good working order to avoid breakage and prevent worst-case scenarios. As such, regular maintenance not only mitigates risk, but it also ensures efficiency and reliability.
In most cases, it is highly plausible that there will be a risk of downtime if the marine asset does not undergo adequate offshore maintenance. These concerns are unnoticeable in the first few years, but later the component experiences an accelerated rate of deterioration, due to incorrect and inadequate preservation practices before the system is fully operational.
MARSOL’s preservation practices ensure that the performance of the whole system is consistent throughout its working life.
Choosing an offshore maintenance partner
When taking a holistic approach, it is important to choose a partner that understands your terminal as a whole. This knowledge and understanding will allow your offshore terminal maintenance partner to address root causes and not simply treat symptoms in isolation.
As a commercial and technical marine service solutions provider, MARSOL covers Engineering, Project Management, Operations & Maintenance, Inspection Repair & Maintenance (IRM) and Integrity management among other subsea and maritime services. This means that all influencing factors are taken into account when offshore maintenance is done.
Terminal maintenance and design
In order to maintain an offshore terminal or to repair assets, it is important to understand its environment and its design. Our Engineering Services Division offers a comprehensive package for all Mooring and Hose Analysis for SPM terminals, including validation of third-party analysis from terminal designers. We use our operational and practical onsite experience for model validation to ensure the model output is aligned with the specific requirements of the terminal.
Through applying integrity-based Inspection Repair and Maintenance (IRM) and creating a marine asset history, MARSOL can modify operations and maintenance philosophies and associated work programmes periodically to reflect changes brought about by any influencing factors and unusual events. By finding the perfect balance between efficiency, risk and operational expenditure, we greatly reduce risk to the system and encourage sustainability and longevity.
These changes create the opportunity for us to review the current programme, identify areas of improvement and design changes on the system components to safely and economically optimise future activities and schedules and related OPEX costs all the while ensuring all updated IRM philosophies are agreed by the OEM/ CLASS as needed.
Whether greenfield or brownfield, every optimization starts with the perfect plan.
Terminal Maintenance and marine asset lifespan extension
Increasing an asset’s lifespan through offshore maintenance instead of periodic asset repair means saving money in the long run, limiting downtime and reducing risk, but only if it is done properly. Our highly qualified team manages local partners to deliver these ongoing programmes, always focusing on international safety and quality standards to ensure that the client and its stakeholders’ reputations are protected.
We draw on our experience to validate and modify the requirements as outlined by the OEM for an operational facility. Through data capture, we create a strategy to perform the offshore maintenance on the most suitable techno-commercial manner and get the necessary approvals for the same before execution from the Contractor, CLASS and OEM as needed.
This strategy lets us achieve the following objectives:
- Protection of the facility
- Retention of the intrinsic value of the marine assets
- Continuity of service
- Maintenance of warranty
- Maintenance of Class
- Avoidance of incidents and resultant pollution
- Compliance with statutory / permit requirements and international operating OCIMF, ISGOT, IMCA, and IMO guidelines
- Protection of 3rd party customers/transporters
- Protection of the buoy and constantly maintaining it in an “as new” condition
- Ensuring Company Reputation is upheld and built upon
Conclusion
In every scenario, prevention is better than cure. Finding the right terminal maintenance partner can save you time, money, risk and reputational damage. Consult with MARSOL to find the right long-term offshore maintenance plan for your terminal.
Rethink your offshore terminal with an O&M Strategy
While your offshore terminal may seem like a small piece of the puzzle, it plays a crucial role that can make or break your business in the oil and gas sector. To ensure that your terminal, whether single-point-mooring or multi-buoy-mooring, operates efficiently with your long-term goals and budget in mind, you need a sound O&M strategy.
Aspects of an offshore terminal O&M strategy
Your offshore terminal O&M strategy should serve to optimise and protect the integrity, reliability and availability of your offshore assets. This includes on-site management and operations, administration, engineering and maintenance execution.
Inspection, Repair and Maintenance
Through applying integrity-based Inspection, Repair and Maintenance (IRM) and creating an asset history, your terminal O&M strategy should be able to modify classic philosophies and associated work programmes periodically to reflect changes brought about by any influencing factors and unusual events. This will reduce risk within the system, as change is inevitable.
Associated services
- Inspection & Condition Assessment
- Preservation Maintenance
Tanker operations
Your offshore terminal O&M strategy should make provision for all marine assets and resources to ensure that time and money is accounted for. This provision will also highlight procedures required for safe and efficient tanker mooring and unmooring at the SPM/MBM. This includes hose connection and disconnection services as well as product transfer services.
Associated services
- Pilot Services
- Tanker Handling vessels
- Emergency Response Services
- Oil Spill Response
- Training
Marine Hose Management Services
To ensure safe and reliable operation of marine hoses, a good offshore terminal O&M strategy will cater for hose management as well. Make sure that your turnkey O&M service provider is meticulous about regulated testing and as well fit-for-purpose operation of marine hoses.
Associated services
- Hose Inventory Management & Storage
- Hose Change Out
- Testing and CLASS
- End-of-life assessment
- Destructive testing
Commercial Marine Products
Hardware provision is not an O&M service provider requirement, but it certainly is something to be included in your strategy. If your offshore terminal O&M partner can supply the desired marine products and can install, operate and maintain them according to manufacturer’s specifications – it’s definitely a bonus!
Products include
- HDPE Boats
- HDPE Modular Floating Docks
- HDPE Tanks
Why you need a turnkey O&M service provider
In the offshore oil and gas industry, many terminal service providers claim to be turnkey operations and maintenance providers, but they fail to meet the mark. This leaves you with unexpected operational costs and opens doors to risk, should multiple service providers fail to operate harmoniously.
A true turnkey solutions provider should cover every aspect of your offshore operations and maintenance so that you can focus on your core business. This includes the supply and maintenance of mechanical and electrical hardware, staff management and training, on-site execution and third-party outsourcing.
Such a provider gives you peace of mind through a single contact point and accountability.
Conclusion
The condition and operation of your offshore terminal can make or break your business in the oil and gas industry. To ensure that it functions at its very best, you need a sound O&M strategy and selecting a good long-term solutions partner is key.
As pioneers in the holistic terminal operations and maintenance approach, MARSOL prides itself on being a turnkey offshore O&M service provider, serving both greenfield and brownfield projects.
Don’t take chances on a patchwork team. Get in touch today.