Cathodic protection
For FPSOs & floating production equipment
FPSOs have many components, all of which require different types of innovative CP system designs.
Deepwater designs and manufactures cathodic protection systems for purpose-built and conversion FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) structures. The nature of FPSOs presents some interesting cathodic protection challenges. Some FPSOs are treated as ships and others as floating production platforms, which requires a cathodic protection designer to shift between design methodologies for different components of the structure. Moorings, hulls, ballast tanks and other parts of the FPSO are all susceptible to different complications, requiring engineers to be versed in the many options available. To design a system that protects the structure as a whole, each part must be addressed separately.
Maintenance without dry-dockingis the largest single issue in corrosion protection for an FPSO. Sacrificial anodes on the hull make more sense than the more advanced impressed-current systems used on ships, simply because they are low-maintenance. Trying to repair a hull-mounted ICCP system requires that an FPSO be taken out of service and dry docked, which is a costly endeavor. Add to that the challenge of retrofitting an existing FPSO with failing corrosion protection on the hull or moorings without interrupting service. All of these challenges have been considered and overcome by Deepwater's cathodic protection designers in the past. In fact, no other company can match Deepwater’s experience in troubleshooting FPSO corrosion issues of every conceivable type, from subsea moorings to topside control tubing.
To protect mooring chains, where larger amounts of exposed steel require a lot of cathodic protection, Deepwater has routinely deployed the RetroBuoy impressed-current cathodic protection (ICCP) retrofit system to the seabed. Providing up to 400 Amps of cathodic protection for 25 years, the Buoys are connected to the FPSO by feed cables deployed in a "Lazy S" configuration back to the surface. Whether turret-moored or spread-moored, each FPSO requires a slightly different configuration. These adjustments are not unmanageable; our designers can modify the system to address these concerns.
Related technical information
Offshore Cathodic Protection 101 (Paper)
A brief tutorial about the science of cathodic protection as it relates to the offshore oil & gas industry, complete with diagrams, chemical equations etc.
Cathodic Protection Strategies for FPSOs (Paper)
FPSO (Floating Production Storage & Offloading) structures present some interesting cathodic protection challenges. Are they ships or floating production platforms? Is impressed current cathodic protection the best solution?
Corrosion Control for Floating Production Equipment (Paper)
The rapid growth in the deep-water production sector worldwide has spawned a whole new generation of floating production equipment...
Offshore Cathodic Protection System Management (Paper)
As offshore structures around the world are aging and in many cases reaching the end of their useful lives, operators are looking for ways to reduce costs on subsea maintenance without increasing risk of failure.
Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Retrofits (Paper)
It has long been recognized that an impressed current design can offer significant economic advantages over galvanic anodes on certain types of offshore platforms that require a cathodic protection retrofit...
Cathodic protection products for FPSOs
$('#product-image').cycle('fade');Sacrificial hull anodes
Low-maintenance protection for new-build structures. Deepwater provides aluminum and zinc hull anodes, manufactured at one of our associated ISO 9000 certified foundry facilities. Designed to be installed before the FPSO goes in the water, hull anodes are the most dependable long-term protection.
RetroBuoy™
To protect the hull & moorings, the RetroBuoy cuts retrofit costs by efficiently delivering substantial protection. One typical RetroBuoy sled can deliver up to 400 amps of corrosion protection – enough to protect 80,000 ft2 of steel mooring chains or hull area.