News
02-May-2010
Flotech Continues to Win and Impress New Clients in the FPSO Business
Flotech has recently delivered and installed yet another compression system onboard a floating production storage and off-loading vessel (FPSO) on time, on budget and with a very happy customer.
Ordered in August 2008 and delivered April 2009, these booster compressor package are now installed on board the Ruby II FPSO for oil and gas extraction and processing on the Ruby Field, located about 155km east of Vung Tau in south-eastern Vietnam. Flotech delivered 2 x 100% units, as part of the larger offshore oilfield development project totalling around USD$350-400 million.
The horizontally opposed and balanced two cylinder GE A352 reciprocating compressors run very smoothly with an inlet pressure of 4.9 bar (g) and discharge pressure of 7.1 bar (g), and have a capacity of 11,229 kg/hr. The 220kW units are not the biggest delivered by Flotech by any means, but are an important win nonetheless. A new client is pleased and the company continues to gain experience and recognition in the off-shore platform and FSPO business.
The customer is a new one for the Flotech Group - DPS Bristol - and the contract was won on Flotech's ability to fast track delivery and fabricate in Singapore. This close proximity to the client and the FPSO process top side integration yard in Malaysia was very important to DPS Bristol. In several past projects, Flotech being so close to the “load out” facilities in Singapore has been noted as a significant advantage. This not only meant they gained close partnerships with industry suppliers - bringing more efficiency and reduced build time - but more importantly, this close proximity allowed them to have in-house responses to any concerns. This helps Flotech to deliver tailor-made packages to their customers' satisfaction.
Although 80% New Zealand owned, Flotech has offices in Sweden, Singapore, North America, New Zealand and Australia. These strategically positioned businesses enjoy close economic and intellectual bonds while the grouping of resources provides fiscal and technological benefits to Flotech's clients. Two ongoing draw cards for Flotech solutions are their international presence and ability to design and manufacture customised solutions to meet a customer's specifications.
For this particular project however, it was imperative that the job was fast tracked and this was one of the key capabilities winning Flotech the contract. Flotech came through on this promise, designing, manufacturing and delivering the package all within the 30 week deadline whilst maintaining the high standard of quality that customers in the oil & gas industry routinely expect.
The Engineering Manager for the end user, MISC, was delighted with the results, writing to "inform that MISC is very happy with the quality of workmanship on the Ruby compressors" commenting specifically on the "cleanliness of the inspected KO drums [and] the external quality of finish". This comes as a testament to Flotech's ability to meet customers' expectations - even under the tightest of deadlines.