A dedicated Kongsberg Maritime project team has successfully carried out a major upgrade of the Safety and Automation Systems on a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel belonging to the Norwegian oil exploration and development company Aker BP.

Formerly a tanker named Odin, the vessel was converted into an FPSO in 2008 and renamed Alvheim in recognition of the oil field in which it operates, located in the central part of the North Sea. However, its hull system was not upgraded during this process. Given that the hull system was now reaching the end of its working life, with outmoded software and hardware plus an increasing difficulty in sourcing spare parts, an upgrade was seen to be a sensible solution.

After studying all existing Safety and Automation Systems controllers and comparing potential upgrade methods, Kongsberg Maritime’s team organised the full-scale replacement of 19 SAS controllers as an EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation) project. KM’s scope of supply encompassed everything from engineering, procurement, fabrication and documentation to testing, offshore installation and commissioning of the hull SAS cabinets. The project proceeded with a procurement order from Aker BP in February 2020 and culminated in October 2021 with the successful live field test on the last controller offshore.

The project deliveries were completed according to Aker BP’s HSE and quality requirements, on time and well within the budget frame set for the project at the height of the pandemic. Lockdown restrictions required the team to think digitally and operate remotely, which they did successfully. No HSE incidents were reported during the project – a testament to the consistently high health & safety standards adhered to by everyone in the team.

“This complex and challenging project for Aker BP really tested our limits, and I’m very proud of everyone who contributed to our success,” says Nicola Barbati, Project Manager, Oil & Gas at Kongsberg Maritime. “Around 30 determined people from across our global organization played a crucial role in delivering this high-quality project to a very satisfied customer.”

Team leader Anders Asperheim, Oil & Gas Operations, Kongsberg Maritime, lists several key factors which contributed to the favorable outcome of this project. “Our success was mostly due to our extremely good cooperation with Aker BP and the installation contractor Origo,” he explains. “We had the right competencies and flexible resources, a one-team attitude, and a friendly, open and honest work environment in which everyone looked out for each other.”

Jørund Sæten, Project Engineer at Aker BP, has nothing but praise for his KM colleagues. “In the Alvheim hull upgrade project, 19 SAS controllers were replaced while the asset was in full production,” he points out. “The project was performed in close collaboration with the operating personnel and field installers. Kongsberg Maritime was an integral part of the team which estimated and carried out the project, and greatly contributed to the project being a complete success.”