Project management for the development of risk-based design basis for FPSOs in the Gulf of Mexico
Client: Instituto Mexicana del Petroleo (IMP)
To facilitate oil and gas exploitation at large depths in the Mexican Gulf, Pemex wants to utilize Floating Production Storage and Offloading facilities (FPSO’s). Since such facilities are traditionally not used in the Gulf of Mexico due to the high frequency of hurricanes in that area, Pemex has asked Instituto Mexicana del Petroleo (IMP) to assist in developing a risk based design basis for such facilities specifically taking into account the environmental conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. Matrisk GmbH was contracted by IMP to formulate and lead the project.
Based on quantitative risk assessments the aim of the project was to develop a design basis for FPSO in the Gulf of Mexico which can be applied as a normal Load and Resistance Design Factor design code format but in which the partial safety factors and the load combination factors have been established and calibrated on the basis of risk assessments. The risk assessments furthermore serve to identify the most feasible concepts for FPSO’s and finally serves to assess the acceptability of the risks for different concepts together with the efficiency of possible risk reducing measures.
In the risk assessments all relevant risks associated with the operation of different concepts for FPSO’s were to be included. Scenarios were thus identified based on historic events from the operation of FPSO’s from other regions as well as expert workshops. The identified scenarios included all relevant events originating in technical failures, extreme weather events, fires and explosions as well as human and organizational errors. In terms of consequences life safety, environmental damages as well as monetary and reputational losses were assessed in detail.