ABS Evaluating New Teekay Floating Offshore Gas Concept

Class society ABS has been selected by Teekay Corporation to provide its technical evaluation to the basic design concept of a floating offshore gas liquefaction unit. The contract calls for review through to front end engineering and design (FEED) with the award of ABS classification to the facilities once a suitable project has been confirmed.

The LNG/LPG liquefaction facility's topsides process is being designed by Mustang Engineering of Houston, TX. Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) of Korea will design and construct the hull for the floating LNG vessel. Initial design concepts call for the unit to have a combined storage capacity for LNG and LPG in excess of 200,000m3. The containment system has not yet been selected and will be greatly determined by the site specific conditions.

"With its approval in principle (AIP) for numerous concepts, ABS has been at the forefront of technical standards for gas production at sea and novel transport technologies," said Mark Kremin, Vice President, Teekay Gas Services. "The class society's experience with the Gaz Transport Technigaz (GTT) Mk III system and Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries'(IHI) Self-supporting, Prismatic-shape, IMO Type-B tank (SPB) is unmatched."

Commenting on the approach of integrating processing facilities into the design of a floating concept, Mr. Kremin added, "ABS allows for the evaluation of appropriate technologies to optimize reliability and flexibility for the LNG or LPG transfer offshore."

ABS has previously classed the only LNG carriers to use the SPB containment system, and also classed the first LPG Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) unit newbuild, the Escravos, and the first LPG Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit newbuild, the Sanha, both operating offshore Angola.

ABS Project Manager John Soland says Teekay's project will utilize one of Mustang's proprietary LNG Smart liquefaction solutions. Mustang's LNG Smart® technologies are designed to improve the commercial viability of LNG terminals, liquefaction plants, and floating regas and liquefaction facilities to help satisfy the global demand for clean and economical liquefied natural gas.

ABS' evaluation of a floating gas project is based upon the application of prescriptive requirements, sea-keeping studies, structural and fatigue analysis of the structure, containment and station keeping systems plus a series of overall risk analysis and special studies. A number of ABS Guides and Guidance Notes will be referred to in establishing compliance for the Teekay floating gas liquefaction facility including the ABS Guide for Building and Classing Offshore LNG Terminals as well following international standards such as the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Gas Code.

Specialized required analysis and technical studies include: mooring analysis, containment system sloshing analysis, gas dispersion and heat radiation analysis; cryogenic liquid spillage and structural protection study; vibration studies to analyze impact of the top side processing facilities on the hull; as well as other detailed process and marine systems studies.

At the end of last year ABS reported during the CWC Eighth Annual World LNG Summit in Rome that it was seeing a resurgence of interest in floating solutions for the transportation of natural gas. By pioneering the use of risk-based approaches to develop Rules for new designs and novel concepts, ABS has been able to validate novel ship and gas containment and transport designs such as the one proposed by Teekay.

With a fleet of almost 200 vessels, Teekay transports more than 10 percent of the world's seaborne oil, moves a growing share of the world's LNG, and is further growing its operations in offshore production, storage and transportation. The company also provides a comprehensive set of marine services to the world's leading oil and gas companies, and has built a reputation for safety, quality and innovation, earning it a position with its customers as The Marine Midstream Company.

Mustang Engineering is an independent services provider to the global oil, gas, chemical and manufacturing industries. The company specializes in design, engineering, procurement, project management and construction management with a staff of 4,300 worldwide with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and India.

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is one of the largest shipbuilders in the world specializing in the building of high added-value and special purpose vessels, including LNG carriers, offshore related vessels, oil drilling ships, ultra large container ships and Arctic shuttle tankers.