The Business of
FPSOs, Shuttle Tankers and Peter Lovie

This two day event with 31 speakers - operators, regulators, contractors and consultants - met to address FPSO issues on the "state of the industry" and "what's next", prompted by the US regulators' approval of FPSOs for GOM several months earlier.

Sponsored by seven (7) industry organizations and held before an audience of 186, multiple discussion panels and debates with the audience explored paths ahead in GOM and worldwide. Presentations were available online via SPE for several months only and have been re-assembled here with the authors' consent.

Agenda

Day One - Tuesday 24 September 2002
7:30 Register, Gather, Continental Breakfast
  Starting Points
8:30 Welcome, Introduction to Workshop - Peter Lovie
  Why are we here? Objectives, the seven (7) Participating Organizations
 Offshore Operators' Committee  Allen Verret
 API Shuttle Vessel Task Force  Tricia Clark
 Deepstar  David Saylor
 FPSO Research Forum  Steve Balint
 Minerals Management Service (MMS)  Jim Grant
 Society of Petroleum Engineers (S P E)  Peter Lovie
 U.S. Coast Guard  Mark Prescott
9:20 Update, Relationship to Other Regulatory Processes - Jim Grant MMS

Update, Relationship to Other Regulatory Processes - Mark Prescott, USCG
10:00 Coffee Break
  Typical FPSO Operators' Requirements OUTSIDE GOM
[Moderator: Steve Balint, FPSO Research Forum]
10:25 Oil Co. Owner & User of FPSOs - Round Table Discussion:
Dave Edwards, Shell; Marco Maddelena, Petrobras; Mark Buetzow, ChevronTexaco; Mitch Winkler, Shell; Ben Thurmond, BP

Contractor Owner of FPSOs - Round Table Discussion:
John Lane, Modec; John Spittal, PGS; Allan Millmaker, Bluewater; Rob Mountjoy, BMImodco

World's Top Three Priorities for Best Practices in FPSO Design, Operation, Safety and Regulatory Approval - FPSO Research Forum Johan Wichers, Marin; Steve Balint, Shell
12:45 Lunch
  Typical Operators´ Requirements for FPSOs for GoM
[Moderator: Allen Verret, Offshore Operators´ Committee]
1:55 Economics Issues for FPSOs in GoM: What´s Different?
Rick Meyer & Mitch Winkler,
Shell Exploration & Production Company

Typical Performance Expectations - Carl-Arne Carlsen,
Det Norske Veritas

Typical Operating & Safety Needs - Wanda Parker, Deepstar 6100
Committee
3:45 Coffee Break
4:15 Expected Operating Procedures for FPSO / Shuttle Vessel Operations
Tricia Clark, API Shuttle Vessel Task Force

GoM´s Top Three Priorities for Best Practices in FPSO Design,
Operation, Safety and Regulatory Approval
Bill Sember, American Bureau of Shipping
  Closing Statement – Issues to Ponder for Tomorrow
5.35 Steve Balint & Allen Verret
5.50 Workshop Close – Day One - Peter Lovie
   
Day Two - Wednesday 25 September 2002
8:30 Recap on Day One, Objectives in Day Two - Peter Lovie
  Town Hall Meeting: Brief Presentations on Future Needs by Attendees
[Moderators: Peter Lovie, S P E; Adrian Macmillan & Johan Wichers, FPSO Research Forum]
8:40 Generally 5 minutes talk perhaps with 1-3 slides, 5 minutes discussion, from each of five (5) attendees pre-selected from their questions asked on the sign up form.

Input is solicited from attendees in advance of workshop via completion of a website form asking for outlines of issues believed 3 most important. Idea is that unknown concerns in the FPSO community are brought into the open, whether they can be dismissed easily, or may need more study. Becomes an opportunity for individuals and companies to express views and debate them with the attendees. Contributors included: Bill Daughdrill, Arun Duggal, Ian Whitby.
  Where do the shuttle vessels come from? What requirements apply?
How can they compete with established pipeline networks?

[Moderator: Mark Buetzow, API Shuttle Vessel Task Force]
9:35 Established GoM Environmental & Reliability Performance v. Shuttle Tankers
Skip Ward, Offshore Technology Research Center

Pipeline Infrastructure, Economics, Risks for GoM v. Shuttle Tankers
Terry Stock, Callon Petroleum Company
10:10 Coffee Break
10:35 Adaptation of Existing North Sea Shuttle Tankers & Practices to GoM
Stein Rynning, Navion ASA

Commonality of GoM Lightering
John Ellis, Skaugen PetroTrans Inc.

A New Venture in the U.S. Market
Chuck Steube, Seahorse Shuttling & Technology LLC
12:20 Lunch
  Time for the Practical Stuff: How do we now obtain one of these FPSOs for GoM?
[Moderator: Peter Lovie, Society of Petroleum Engineers]
1:30 What does it take to get started? How long? GoM challenges in the regulatory approval process? Then the bidding process? Getting the design and execution plan right?
Discussion Panel: Jim Grant, Mark Prescott, Allen Verret, David Saylor, George Rodenbusch, Shell

An oil company´s viewpoint on the process of acquiring an FPSO
Marco Maddalena, Petrobras

The Commercial Side - lease or buy an FPSO? Existing or Newbuild?
Per Bergstol, Fearnley Offshore (now at BOA Offshore)
3:30 Coffee Break
3:50 The FPSO Contractor Solution - Rob Mountjoy, SBMImodco

The Engineering & Construction Contractor Solution
Jan Wagner, Fluor Corporation
  Where Now? Conclusions from Industry Leaders in Sponsoring Organizations:
5:00 Deepstar - David Saylor, Unocal
FPSO Research Forum - Steve Balint, Shell
Minerals Management Service - Jim Grant, M M S
Offshore Operators Committee - Allen Verret, Murphy O&G
API Shuttle Vessel Task Force - Tricia Clark, Skaugen PetroTrans
Society of Petroleum Engineers - Peter Lovie, American Shuttle Tankers
U.S. Coast Guard - Mark Prescott, U S C G
5:30 Workshop Close - Peter Lovie
   

Workshop Steering Committee

Who Company, Location Affiliation Responsibilities
Steve Balint Shell Intl. Exp. & Prod.
Houston
FPSO Research Forum Chair of F R F / Content
Tricia Clark Skaugen PetroTrans, Inc
Houston
API Shuttle Vessel Task Force Content/Shuttle Vessel Segment
Jim Grant Minerals Management Service,
New Orleans
Minerals Mgmt. Service Regulators´ Perspective
Hugh Kirkpatrick Kirkpatrick Consulting
Houston
Society of Petrol. Engineers Treasurer / Arrangements
Peter Lovie American Shuttle Tankers
Houston
Society of Petrol. Engineers Chair/Organizer Content Lead
Adrian MacMillan Det Norske Veritas
Houston
FPSO Research Forum F R F Content
Rick Meyer Shell Expl. & Prod. Co.
New Orleans
API Shuttle Vessel Task Force Shuttle Vessel related content
Mark Prescott U.S. Coast Guard
Washington DC
U.S. Coast Guard Regulators´ Perspective
David Saylor Unocal Deepwater USA
Houston
Deepstar 6100 Committee FPSOs/Technical Content
Allen Verret Murphy Expl. & Prod.
New Orleans
Offshore Operators Committee Exec. Dir, OOC Regulatory
Bill Westcott Subsea 7 / Halliburton
Houston
Society of Petrol. Engineers Marketing Lead
Johan Wichers Marin USA Inc.
Houston
FPSO Research Forum F R F Content