From scale to standardization: How floating systems are evolving offshore

By Tobias Kärrsten, Senior Operations Manager, Floating Systems, KBR

Floating systems have been a critical and important part of the offshore energy industry for decades, particularly as operators have moved into deeper waters. They are the solution when fixed platforms are no longer practical, and they support everything from wellhead to process system to export.

KBR's floating systems capability spans semi-submersibles, Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, drilling units, accommodation platforms and other specialist floating solutions, including heavy lift vessels and offshore substations.

In recent years, our industry has evolved into a refinement era of sorts. Primarily focused on more responsible and short cycle investment strategies, to become more agile in and around a range of global policies and economics.

However, compromising our industry's integrity to meet these objectives is not an option, so they remain the bedrock of what we do.

So, this is where we're seeing growth particularly in two areas: Standardized semi-submersibles and FPSOs.

Why floating still matters

Floating systems have long been used where water depths make fixed structures impractical. As developments have moved further offshore, this has become the most viable approach.

They also play an important role where export infrastructure is limited or non-existent. FPSO vessels, for example, allow processed hydrocarbons to be stored and offloaded directly to shuttle tankers, removing the need for dedicated pipelines.

Semi-submersible Floating Production Units (FPUs), by contrast, typically rely on export pipelines, but can offer advantages where fields are connected to existing infrastructure or in harsher environments where vessel motion is critical.

The shift to standardization and cost

What has changed more recently is the type of development being brought forward. Fewer large fields are being sanctioned, with operators increasingly focused on smaller or more marginal reserves.

In this environment, cost has become the primary driver. Rather than developing fully bespoke solutions for each project, there is a growing emphasis on standardized designs that can be adapted and deployed more efficiently.

This is creating a move towards standardized semi-submersible production units and FPSO hulls, built on proven reference designs that have been deployed across multiple regions. This allows operators to build on existing experience rather than starting from first principles for each development.

Meeting this demand, KBR has developed and designed a portfolio of standardized, scalable, class-approved FPSO and semi-submersible hulls.

Integration and system thinking

At the same time, floating systems are increasingly being evaluated as part of wider offshore developments, rather than as standalone assets.

Tiebacks to existing infrastructure are becoming more common, particularly for smaller fields located within reach of an established production unit. In these cases, subsea developments can be connected back to an existing FPSO or semi-submersible, avoiding the need for a new standalone facility.

However, distance and flow assurance can limit how far these tiebacks can be extended. To address this, solutions such as KBR's ASTEP I.S. platform are being developed, using a standardized utility semi-submersible to facilitate longer-distance tiebacks while removing the need for modifications to the host facility.

This approach makes it possible to bring smaller or previously uneconomic fields into production more efficiently, particularly where conventional subsea tiebacks aren't practical.

It also reflects a broader shift in how projects are planned, with floating systems, subsea infrastructure and export routes increasingly considered together rather than developed in silos.

Bringing it all together

Floating systems are inherently complex. Hull design, mooring and riser, hydrodynamics, stability, structural behaviour and topside integration must all work together as part of a single system.

The challenge is bringing this all together. Something that seems minor early in design can have a much bigger impact later if it hasn't been addressed earlier.

This applies just as much to newer concepts, such as subsea tieback platforms, where hull design, process systems and subsea infrastructure all need to be aligned from the outset.

That's where experience makes a difference. Delivering these systems depends on understanding how each part interacts and being able to bring disciplines together that are often handled separately.

KBR's approach combines hull, subsea and process engineering within a single team, creating an environment for deep collaboration and allowing the development of a better integrated solution.

What's next

Operators are continuing to assess ways to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. This includes measures such as heat recovery from power generation systems and, in some regions, the use of power supplied from shore.

As technology continues to advance in our industry, there is also growing interest and demand for reducing crew operation, with increased automation and, in some cases, unmanned operations. At the same time, experience from floating oil and gas developments are being applied to adjacent areas, including floating wind and other offshore energy systems.

Floating systems are evolving to move away from large, capital intense, bespoke developments with a preference towards smaller, standardized and more integrated solutions.