Elastopipe, Trelleborg’s corrosion-free fire safety deluge system, replaced existing carbon steel pipework on Maersk’s FPSO vessel Ngujima-Yin
Two years after installation, the existing carbon steel seawater deluge system on the FPSO (floating production storage and offloading) vessel Ngujima-Yin, working in the Vincent oil field off Western Australia, had corroded.
The deluge system, which extinguishes fire by spraying large quantities of water, required constant maintenance, cleaning and testing, and a replacement was required to reduce the long-term cost of ensuring essential fire protection.
Safety first
“Trelleborg provided the complete survey, design, engineering, supply and installation package, as well as removing the old installation,” explains Christian Eilersen, Director FPSO Projects, Maersk. “It was important that the operation of the FPSO was not affected in any way and that safety was considered to be of paramount importance. Trelleborg ensured not only a quick and effective, but also a safe installation.”
The challenge with the installation was to replace the existing fire protection throughout the seven FPSO modules without affecting the safety of the vessel itself as it continued output. The system required 1,687 meters of pipework, with diameters ranging from 25 to 200 mm, and associated fittings and accessories.
Flexible piping system
“Because Elastopipe is a synthetic rubber-based flexible piping system, it is installed without any welding or other hot work, such as high-speed cutting, which could compromise the safety of the vessel,” says Hans-Leo Hals, Elastopipe Product Group Manager, Trelleborg. “We installed a temporary Elastopipe deluge system for each module, removed the existing steel pipes, then completed the permanent Elastopipe pipework and fixings and moved the temporary deluge on to the next module. This method ensured that full fire protection was retained throughout the project.”
In addition, the flexibility and lightweight of Elastopipe allowed for a very rapid installation. Compared with a rigid pipe system it can swiftly be configured for confined spaces.
“The first two modules were completed in just a month, in contrast to the estimated 15 months [required] to install a comparable copper-nickel installation,” Hals says.