During mechanical completion there is a handover of part systems and a punch list system was introduced to identify outstanding work.
This section will deal with some particular challenges in South East Asian yards.
Materials. Experience has shown that offshore standard materials are often hard to locate within Korea. Probably the best source in the region is Singapore. However it has been our experience that we have generally been more successful procuring specialist materials from Europe and North America, especially if the item is required at short notice. On this project we have on occasion drawn down on stock held at B&R's Barmac construction yard in Scotland. Designers, especially in the structural area need to consider steel grades and sections available locally in design.
Labour. A harsh environment FPSO, with a high degree of automation and control requires many more manhours to complete than a conventional trading Vessel. Typically manhours used in construction will be between 2-2.5 times that for VLCC. Benign environment FPSO's will have manhour requirements much closer to a conventional Vessel. The extra manpower is especially needed for insulation, electrical and controls. Structural work might have approximately a 30% greater requirement, due to the higher strength and fatigue requirements and piping about 75% greater due to higher quality materials, depending on the arrangement.
Assistance from Client. Lack of experience in unique features of the design will require considerable support. This is particularly true of Asian yards, which may be reluctant to hire-in expertise and may try to muddle through themselves. European yards are much more used supplementing their internal skill sets and much more used to non-standard designs. Clients need to plan to support weak areas or expect a high level of rectification after delivery. The more complete the preliminary engineering and the more detailed the specification the easier this will be.
Cultural Differences. Much is talked about‘face saving' in Asia. It is certainly true that there is a reluctance to admit mistakes. However faced with evidence, errors will be corrected. There will always be attempted to get the client to accept the as-built condition and it is here that a firm line is required in order to avoid slow attrition on project specifications. There is also a concern that personnel will not report problems to higher management. This is a gap that the client team can fill. By example, we have instances where we, the client, are often blamed for finding the fault. "Your inspectors check in too much detail", or "Why did you not find this fault last month".
Junior personnel will always defer to senior personnel. This often means that only the most senior person present will speak unless other are directed to do so. This can make getting information a painful process.
We have found the Korean people to be determined, hard working and, at times, inflexible. While these characteristics mean they will not give up easily it also means that we have faced a struggle to make sure our instructions are carried out.
Structure of Contractor. An Asian yard, which is set-up to produce series of ships, will have its departments structured in a matrix format. There will be limited interaction between departments. Design procurement, construction, commissioning and delivery will be handled in sequence with minimum carryover to the following stage.
Flexibility. Given the nature of the construction conveyor belt in large yards it is impossible to achieve much flexibility in design and construction. The dock slot, which will be around 15 weeks duration, will have been allocated up to 2 years in advance and cannot be changed. There will be some flexibility after launching of the Vessel but this will be constrained by the completeness of construction and an eagerness to complete the project. Further restriction will be imposed by labour, especially from QC and Sea Trials departments. Benefits may be had from subcontracting some instrumentation and electrical work.
Delivery Voyage
A delivery contractor (JV of Smit/Canship/Wismuller) has been appointed by the Daewoo Shipyard to deliver the FPSO to Canada.
The Terra Nova Alliance has decided to mitigate risk to the project by providing an escort tug for the Voyage. This is included in the delivery contract.
The Tug "Wolraad Woltemade" out of Cape Town South Africa is currently in transit to Korea and should arrive before the 7th March 2000. This tug has a 200 Te bollard pull and is capable of towing the FPSO in the unlikely event of a complete failure of the FPSO propulsion system.
As part of the commissioning process Petro-Canada mobilised their marine crew on a rotation basis over the past 6 months. These two crews are now familiar with the design and operation of the FPSO. This crew has been offered and accepted by the delivery contractor for the voyage. The delivery contractor will provide the tow master, FPSO master, Chief engineer, catering, laundry and AB seamen for the voyage.
It is intended that the FPSO will be self-propelled on the voyage to Newfoundland. Of the 13 MW generated by the two Wartsila engines "key services" a maximum of approximately 11 MW is available for the thrusters. All three aft thrusters will be powered at about 70% of their design capacity. Model tests have shown that the Vessel should be capable of achieving in excess of 11 knots in calm conditions. Speed trials will be conducted to confirm this. Both forward thrusters will be withdrawn into the hull, thus reducing drag, improving steerage and removing the risk of damage on route.
