SENSFIB^TM fibre optic hull monitoring chosen for newbuilds under construction at YANTAI CIMC Raffles Offshore in China

Light Structures AS, the world leading supplier of fiber optic condition monitoring systems based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology, has been awarded two contracts with YANTAI CIMC Raffles Offshore for the delivery of extensive SENSFIB hull stress monitoring systems for two Petrobras-commissioned Floating Production Storage & Offloading (FPSO) units.

Representing the most extensive SENSFIB technology configuration available, the contracts for Petrobras P-80 and P-83 were secured via Light Structures’ agent China Merchants Hoi Tung company, following another recent order of SENSFIB systems for eight LNG carriers. With production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil per day, the FPSO units will be among the largest in the world when completed and deployed at the Búzios offshore oil field in Brazil. The first SENSFIB system is scheduled to be delivered to the yard by the end of November 2023, with the second arriving within April 2024.

Identical in design and execution, the P-80 and P-83 FPSOs will feature innovations including carbon reduction technologies and digital twins that will provide Petrobras with high-fidelity virtual duplicates of the FPSOs to allow for remote simulation and testing that will secure operational safety, reliability and efficiency. The digital twins will be connected to live data from diverse sensors on the FPSOs, including the SENSFIB hull monitoring system, ensuring that any pre-operation check-outs provide accurate data for Petrobras engineering teams.

“The sheer size of FPSOs combined with the risks and complexity of their offshore operations demands that structural monitoring data is available for safety and operational purposes 24/7,” said Goetz Vogelmann, Sales Director, Light Structures. “Our SENSFIB technology is already well proven on FPSOs worldwide and we are confident that it will deliver the levels of data availability and accuracy that Petrobras needs to ensure its digital twins can look into the future and optimise both operational safety and efficiency.”

“Thanks to their long-term expertise and experience in providing FPSO structural monitoring systems, and a track record as a dependable supplier for shipyards in China in addition to the local support the Hoi Tung team offers, we are confident that the SENSFIB system is the right choice for the new Petrobras FPSOs and are looking forward to the delivery and installation in the coming months,” said Mr. Jiang Yan, Vice General Manager, China Merchants Hoi Tung company.