Proceedings of the Eleventh (2001) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference Stavanger, Norway, June 17-22, 2001

Copyright 2001 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers ISBN 1-880653-51-6 (Set); ISBN 1-880653-52-4 (Vol. I); ISSN 1098-6189 (SeO

Turret Operations in the North Sea: Experience from Norne and Asgard A
Borre Knudsen and B & d A. Leite
Aker Maritme, Maritime Tentech, Kristiansand, N o r w a y

Stig A. Mjoen
Statoil, Stjordal, N o r w a y

ABSTRACT This paper presents the turret solutions developed for North sea conditions and operational experience made by Statoil during the period from 1997 to 2000. The presentation is based on experience from operation of the Statoil FPSOs Norne and A s g a r d - designed by Maritime Tentech and operated by Statoil. Focus is put on turret design and operations, and it has been our ambition to present issues related to functionality of mechanical systems as well as working conditions for crew. Generally speaking, a very high regularity has been achieved during the first years of operating the FPSOs. Even though some mechanical failures have occurred for the turret systems, these have not led to production stops or serious threats to human lives, environment or equipment.

The main parameters of the Norne and Asgard A FPSOs are presented in the table below

Table 1 Norne and Asgard A main parameters

Norne 260.2m 41.0m 146,000T 725,000bbls 173,250bbls/day 6-7MSM/day /~ksgard A 276.4m 45.4m 173,500T 935,000bbls 225,000bbls/day 20-25MSM/day
.....

Length Overall Breadth moulded Displacement Crude Storage capacity Design oil prod. rate Design Gas prod. rate

SECTION I - TURRET DESCRIPTION

TURRET MOORING The principle of mooring a vessel using a turret can be compared to "sway-mooring" a vessel to a moored buoy. The vessel will weathervane to achieve the optimum heading towards waves and wind and thereby reduce vessel motions and loads on the mooring system.
Turret moored vessels can basically be divided in two categories: Those with bow mounted external turret Those with internal turret

KEY WORDS: FPSO; Turret; Turret Operations; Bearing System; Turning System; Mooring System; Swivel; Working Conditions; Safety Aspects

INTRODUCTION Turret moored FPSOs have been operated in the North Sea since Petrojarl 1 was installed and started production on the Blenheim the field in 1986. Today, the total number of FPSOs on the Norwegian and UK continental shelves is in the order of 20.
The experience with turret moored ship-shaped production units is of increasing interest, since we may expect that the exploration of marginal fields remaining in the North s e a - and deep water fields around the world - is likely to be based on floating units. The ambition of this paper is to present Statoils experience with turret operations based on the Norne and Asgard operations. A

Bow mounted turrets are frequently used when tankers are modified from transportation service to FPSO service tbr mainly benign waters. Internal turrets are normally introduced tbr newbuilt FPSOs intended for more harsh environmental conditions.

Some of the characteristic features of Tentech designed turrets operating in the North sea are: 327 Turret position at a position forward of midship Sliding bearing system

presentation of the turret design is given as a background for the operational experience.

Active turning system Thruster assisted heading control Dry hang-off of risers and umbilicals Dry hang off of mooring lines Adjustable mooring line tension during operation

Norne and Asgard. This size is a result of an extensive amount of functions and equipment placed on the turret. By reducing the number of risers, equipment and functions, smaller turret sizes have also been designed (as for instance the 6m diameter Banff turret, developed in cooperation with PGS). Tentech turrets are normally designed with submerged atmospheric voids. This feature is used to achieve the ideal weight distribution on the turret bearings. In some cases this involves the use of ballast water in the void spaces. (/ksgard and Norne do not use ballast water.) The upper turret structure consists of three plane circular decks with radial and circular stiffening. These decks are supported on truss structures. The winch deck accommodates the mooring winches and the dedicated HPU tbr these. The riser connector deck accommodates the hang-off of all risers and umbilicals and support of ring manilblds. The ESD valves are located on this deck. The swivel deck accommodates the swivel stack as well as instrument and electrical containers, a subsea HPU skid, a methanol injection skid and distribution system as well as a chemical injection skid.

Figure 1 Asgard A turret principles

FLEXIBLE J U M P E R GANTRY STRUCTURE

SWIVEL DECK VALVE

- C~AIN WINCH

~ I N C H DECK
'UPPEI~ BEARING

VESSEL MAINDECK VESSEL MOONPOOL

SLIDING SURFACES

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.....-.- LOWER RUBBER FENDER DOUBLE BOTTOM

Gantry Structure
For swivel based turrets a gantry structure - shaped as a "table" with tour legs and supported on the main deck of the vessel - is placed around and above the turret. The main function of the gantry is to provide connection and support of the transfer hoses led tYom the outer rotating part of the swivel. Further, it offers mechanical and weather protection tbr the turret and its' equipment as well as support tbr a number of units like pigging facilities etc.

KEEL LEVEL FAIRLEAD

BENDING STIFFENER

TURRET ARRANGEMENT The turret is a "loose" item positioned in the vessel moon pool. It interfaces towards vertical and horizontal bearing elements located at the upper edge of the moonpool and a circular bearing positioned about 3m above the vessel keel. The turret is located with its center at approximately 2/3 of the vessel's length tYom the aft perpendicular. The turret provides the connection for the mooring system, transtbrs risers and umbilicals to the vessel and allows the vessel to weathervane while maintaining these functions. The turret is designed with conductor tubes from the riser entry point all the way up to the riser hang off deck. A maximum number of 36 risers has been implemented in design studies. 24 riser positions are implemented on the Asgard A and Norne turrets.

Figure 2 Upper Turret 3D model

Turret Structure
In the following text the turret structure is referred to by the terms "lower turret" and "upper turret" where the lower turret is the part of the turret up to the winch deck. The upper turret comprises the winch deck, the riser connection deck and the swivel deck. The lower turret is a plate and girder structure with decks in way of the load transferring paths. This is a type of construction commonly used in shipbuilding. The lower turret diameter is 20 meter for

328

Figure 3 Lower Turret 3D model

Con's

Active turning system needed Daffy operations related to turning required More frequent maintenance Risk of excessive twist in case of turning system tailure or faulty operation

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Non redundant system (failure leads to "stuck turret") High wear on swivel due to frequent rotations Small fabrication Tolerances Vulnerable to vessel detbrmation The tbrward turret position gives higher riser motions

One can hardly draw the conclusion that one of the above systems is "the better one". Different services will require different bearing systems. Generally speaking roller based systems are preferred tbr tully passive weathervaning systems. Sliding bearing systems are preferred tbr FPSOs with dragchain transfer system. Further, sliding bearings are preferred tbr FPSOs where the turret is located close to midship to limit riser and mooring loads. The reason tbr this is that the deflections in the vessel beam close to the midship is easily absorbed by the sliding bearing system while a roller based system requires a stable @undation with minimum deformations. The Asgard and Norne turrets are resting on a number of individual bearing units supported on the main deck (each turret has 67 units). Each unit comprises two vertical and one horizontal spring packages. A typical spring package has a capacity of 70 - 100 tonnes each (vertically and horizontally). The vertical and horizontal spring packages supports the low friction sliding pads. The pads are being mated towards stainless steel plates which are secured to the turret structure by bolts. Maintenance is easy, as the pads are individually replaceable during normal operation.

TURRET MECHANICAL SYSTEMS Bearing System

The Tentech turrets are supported on sliding bearings- while other suppliers use different bearing principles based on wheels or rollers. A comparison of the two different bearing principles - with their pro's and con's - is presented in table 2 below.

Figure 4 Turret Bearing Units

Table 2: Comparison of turret Bearing Systems Sliding Bearings Roller Bearings Passive system requiring no daily operations Promotes passive weather vaning vessel with limited or no thruster need Less risk of human errors

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Pro's

Extremely high vertical load capacity Redundant system allowing partial repair or substitution Stable turret position Minimum wear on swivel Wide fabrication Tolerances Adapts to vessel deformations,:hence promotes a central turret position with minimum riser loads

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Lower Bearing System

The lower bearing is a passive system which only transfers horizontal turret loads to the vessel in extreme weather conditions. The system comprises a number of rubber elements tbrming a continuous tender around the turret.

329

A radial gap of 75 mm between the rubber fender and the stainless mating surface of the vessel moonpool is implemented in the design.

Turning System
Heading control is maintained by use of the vessel thrusters. The active control of heading offers the possibility to select the most favorable angle of attack on waves, current and wind. Due to friction in the sliding bearings the turret will tend to tbllow the vessel as it rotates to achieve appropriate attack angle of the wind and waves. To avoid twisting of the risers, the turret shall normally be oriented towards it's dedicated "north" position. A relative rotation (twist) of the turret of up to +/- 7 degrees is normally acceptable. The turning system has two main functions: , to rotate the turret relative to the ship to maintain a neutral orientation of the mooring and riser systems , to lock the turret rotational position relative to the vessel during periods of maintenance in the interface area between the two, or during operations requiring interconnection of the two (pigging tbr instance) The turning system comprises an arrangement of tour push/pull cylinders with grippers, which work in sequence. Note that the friction of the upper vertical and horizontal bearings will secure a fixed position of the turret relative to the ship in all calm and moderate weather conditions. The turning system is redundant, meaning that two of the tour cylinders have sufficient capacity to turn the turret - even tbr maximum friction.

The chain enters the turret via fairleads at the turret bottom. The fairleads can be fitted to the turret prior to lilting the turret into the vessel m o o n p o o l - as done on Norne - or installed at sea - as done on Asgard A. The fairleads are designed tbr full service life, without replacement, but may be replaced in service without the use of divers. The mooring chains are connected to winches - one for each l i n e on the winch deck. The mooring line tension may be individually adjusted by use of the winches. The chain is led over the winch down to a chain locker in the turret. The maximum pull-force of the winches is in the order of 250 tonnes. The load cell in the chain stopper continuously monitors the load on each mooring line during operation. Two winches can be operated simultaneously by the dedicated HPU.

Riser Pull-in System

A riser pull in winch with wire drum and sheaves is mounted on the gantry deck. A system of horizontal and vertical wheels guide the wire to the different pull-in positions.

TURRET HYDROCARBON SYSTEMS Riser Interface and Hang-off

The flexible risers are pulled in through steel guide tubes extending from the bottom of the turret up to the riser hang off position on the riser connector deck. A bending stiffener is installed at the lower end of the riser tube to avoid excessive bending of the riser at this point. The bending stiffener is fixed to the turret bottom while the riser, that is led through the bending stiffener, is free to move in the axial direction but is restricted in radial directions.

Figure 5 Turret turning system- top view

Turret Piping System

An ESD valve is normally connected directly onto the riser end flange at the hang off position. This valve is of the "fail close" type - closing if the "sate operation" signal ceases. The different producers are connected to the production- and testring manifolds. The manitblds are located at the outer circumference of the riser connector d e c k - outside the hang-offs. Flowlines are routed from the manifolds to the bottom of the swivel. Flexible jumper hoses are connected to nozzles on the outer rotating part of the swivel stack. The flexible hoses are chosen to absorb the relative deflection between the turret and the gantry occurring in severe weather. These jumpers are connected to hard piping on the gantry deck and routed over the edge of the gantry deck down and into the central piperack of the FPSO topside. During normal vessel operation the grippers are not engaged, and therefore do not hinder relative movement of the turret.

Transfer System
One of the most crucial systems of an FPSO is the transfer system which allows unlimited change of heading while transferring oil and gas, utility fluids, electrical power and signals between the vessel and the subsea system. Both swivel and dragchain based systems are used in the North Sea. Statoil have chosen swivel based solutions tbr both the Asgard A and Norne F P S O s - playing an active role in

Mooring system
The Asgard A and Norne turrets both have twelve mooring lines. Each mooring line is connected to a suction anchor at the far end and a rotating anchor chain winch at the turret end. The line is composed of a combination of chain with different unit weights and sheathed wire. 330

the technical development of these swivels. These swivels have been designed and supplied by Single Buoy Moorings (SBM). The swivels have the following dimensions: Norne 8.3m 72 tonnes Asgard 13.2m 100 tonnes

E L E C T R I C A L , I N S T R U M E N T A N D UTILITY S Y S T E M S Power Supply Power is supplied from the power generation system on the ship to the turret and subsea cables via an electrical swivel. Both high voltage and normal voltage electrical power is supplied via sliprings. Electrical switch gear is collected in cabinets or containers supplied with sate air to achieve the correct EX class. Electrical power is distributed to the ditferent consumers on the turret and to the subsea cables from this cabinet/container. Instrument Systems The turret and subsea systems are controlled by the Safety and Automation System (SAS) from the Central Control Room (CCR). The signal transRr between the vessel and the turret is based on a telemetry link. The ESD function on the turret is based on a tail sate mechanism, meaning that the ESD valves on the turret close it the signal stops. Turret Utility Systems Depending on the turret service a number of utility/unctions can be provided on the turret- such as:

Total height Total weight

Figure 6 Turret Transfer System - Asgard A and Norne Swivel Stacks

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The size of the turret is affected by the utility philosophy. By installing such equipment on the turret, the complex transfer over the swivel is reduced. The penalty is increased turret s i z e - which, tbr Norne and Asgard was found to be technically and economically favorable.

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Pigging Pigging facilities for the hydrocarbon risers and flowlines are provided as temporary s y s t e m s - installed when pigging operations are to take place. Pig launchers and receivers are located on tbundations on the gantry deck. Temporary piping is installed from the launchers/receivers onto blind flanges available on all the riser positions. The design also allows use of smaller pig launchers and receivers installed vertically on the dedicated spools at the swivel deck. This option is used for normal cleaning of the flowlines.

331

SECTION II- TURRET OPERATIONS

It is important to be aware of the tact that the turret operation is a secondary task for the control room operators. The main task is to keep the topside process plant running and optimize the production of oil and gas. Therefore, the operator prefers to see turret systems with a minimum of manual operations. As a consequence of this most turret operations are automatic - limiting the operator duties to inspection and maintenance at regular intervals. An exception to this is the turret turning operation which is pertbrmed from the Central Control Room (CCR).

Inspection and Maintenance of bearings

Inspection of the system is basically focused on hydraulic leaks and wear. A system for greasing is implemented and used at regular intervals to minimize wear of the sliding pads and stainless bearing faces.

Mooring winch Operation

The twelve mooring lines have a predefmed line tension. This parameter is continuously monitored by the Safety and Automation System (SAS). If the line tension should vary during operation (most probably decrease due to straightening of chain on seabed), the chain tension can be re-established by operating the chain winch locally on the winch deck. In addition to tension monitoring/adjustment the chain winches are used to alter the contact point between the chain and the fairleads. This is done to distribute the wear on the chains and the fairleads and thereby prolong the service rite of these.

Turret turning
If the vessel is rotated more than the maximum specified turret "twist", an increasing torsional moment will occur in the mooring systems. For a twist angle of about 20 degrees, there is risk that the turret will break loose and rotate back to an equilibrium position. This un-controlled rotation is an unwanted situation which represents a potential danger to personnel. The hydraulic turning system is remotely operated from the central control room. The operator has access to a screen where all relevant turret parameters are presented continuously- like turret position in moonpool, turret rotation relative to north, bearing tbrces and mooring loads. When planning to change heading of the ship, a corresponding turret turning is initiated by the control room operator. It, for instance, the operator plans to change the vessel heading 5 degrees clockwise, he has to "program" the turning system to rotate the turret 10 degrees counterclockwise- bringing it back to its' neutral rotational position. A range of different turning modi are implemented, including modi tbr maximum turning tbrce, maximum turning speed, normal turning by two grippers, parked mode and locking mode.

Pigging Operations
On Asgard A, the original system for pigging of the flowlines and risers requires installation of temporary piping from the launcher and receiver on the gantry deck to the dedicated pigging flange of the relevant risers. The operation requires that the turret is locked in a rotational position. Pigging must therefore be pertbrmed in calm weather. An alternative system based on local launcher/ receiver connected directly to the pigging hub of the riser at the swivel deck has been developed by the pigging contractor. In practice the latter of the two has been used so far.

Swivel Inspection and Maintenance

An inspection and maintenance program, as proposed by the supplier, is implemented in the vessels overall maintenance program. The main objectives with this program is to maintain tull integrity of the swivel seal system. Attention is also given to ensure good operating conditions for the swivel bearings. The seals used on each of the production, injection or export swivels are supported by an oil pressurisation system. Pressurised oil is kept between the primary and secondary seals. Any leak will result in a drop in the barrier oil pressure and/or consumption of barrier oil. The integrity of the seal system is monitored as tbllows: a) by manometer pressure in the barrier oil on each swivel b) by the oil level gage in the HPU reservoir, supplying barrier oil to the swivel stack c) by the oil level gage in a leak recuperation tank Good operating condition tbr the bearings is ensured by a central greasing system and the greasing program. The operator team, responsible tbr maintenance of the entire turret area has been trained on swivel technology, functionality and critical swivel details. Additionally, operational data, as monitored under items a, b, and c above, are transferred on-line to shore, tbr easy intbrmation on any negative trends. On-line intbrmation from these instruments is also the basis for communication between the operators and the shore based experts.

Monitoring of turret position and bearing loads

The bearing systems are passive - meaning that no actions are required during normal operation. A system of laser sensors located at four positions around the bearing circumference are used to monitor the turret position and behavior. The sensors measure the position of the turret relative to the ship moonpool. The recordings from the different sensors are used to calculate a theoretical plane through the turret. From these recordings the radial and vertical position of the turret is determined. Further the tilt of the turret is calculated. Knowing the exact position of the turret it is possible to calculate the utilization of the different vertical and horizontal bearings. This information is available tbr the operators on a dedicated turret operator console located in the central control room. The following parameters are continuously presented on the operator's screen: Total bearing load Maximum bearing load Turret position Different alarm levels are set for the bearing utilization, and it overloading should occur, the operator will be informed on the turret operation monitor in the CCR. The position of the overload is identified and the operator can take necessary actions to reduce the bearing l o a d s - like turning or moving the vessel using the thruster system.

332

No problems have been experienced with the Norne and Asgard A swivels since the production start in 1997.

Some problems with wear on the bearing pads have been experienced. Investigation around these problems have shown that there are some important factors that should be paid attention to: The amount and frequency of lubrication (grease) is essential for the function and service life of the sliding bearing pads. Too tittle grease is found to give an accelerated bearing pad wear while too much grease has been seen to "wash out" graphite particles from the pad surface. A limited amount of grease at each pad at weekly intervals is recommended based on the latest experience. All sliding surfaces must be kept clean from sharp particles. (e.g. from sand blasting). In some cases grit from sand blasting or sharp protruding imperfections of the bearing surface have led to scratches on the sliding pads. A limited number of such scratches are not found to be critical but may increase wear rate and need for lubrication. The graphite particles, which is one of the components in the sliding pad compound material, should not be "too large" as this is found to accelerate bearing pad wear. In some cases the graphite particles have been "washed" out from the s u r f a c e probably as a result of excessive lubrication. The surface of the sliding pad is protected against corrosion by the presence of lubrication grease. Lack of lubrication grease may lead to surface corrosion at the bearing pads - eventually also increasing the wear rate.

OPERATOR TRAINING PROGRAMME Onshore training

All operators involved in turret operations participated in onshore courses where the principles and details of the turret and its' systems were presented. Most of the operators were also involved in the final testing and commissioning of the FPSOs betbre sailaway tYom completion yard.

Offshore training
An offshore training course tbr the operators at Asgard A was conducted during the autumn 2 0 0 0 - with particular tbcus on turret systems. The intention of the course was to give the operators a good understanding of how the turret systems work, and how to understand the intbrmation which is available on the screens in the central control room.

SECTION

III - R E G U L A R I T Y GAINED

AND

EXPERIENCE

Regularity of Systems
Despite some downtime in turret sub-systems, the overall vessel regularity has not been affected by the turret systems. The main reason for this is that the most important turret facilities are built with redundancy - allowing service or repair of parts of the systems while still maintaining their functions.

Weather vaning capabilities

In order to achieve an optimum ventilation of the vessel topside facilities the vessel is normally oriented against the weather with the wind approaching at the port side of the bow. The thruster system is programmed to maintain this heading with a specified maximum yaw motion (rotation around the vertical axis). The heading control system calculates the necessary global turning moment to keep the vessel heading continuously, and includes also a routine to predict the expected vessel rotation it the thruster system should trip. This feature is tested by turning it o f f - with the experience that there is a very good match between the calculated and the measured vessel rotation. The importance of this feature with reference to turret operations is related to prediction of possible twist in the mooring lines. If a high turning moment is delivered by the thrusters, the vessel will experience a considerable rotation it the system fails (and vice versa). During work in the interface area between the turret and the vessel, the vessel heading can be chosen to avoid a dramatic vessel rotation in case a black ship condition should occur.

There have been some incidents where individual bearing pads have fallen of their respective bearing cylinder. A combination of the following factors have been tbund to explain the incidents: high tYiction due to imperfections in the sliding surface or polluted grease insufficient fastening of the different parts of the bearings insufficient preload in the bearing spring (the bearing must maintain a constant compressive force towards the sliding surface to keep the bearing pad safely in place) The hydraulic power unit serving the horizontal bearing system was found to have insufficient capacity for the Norne vessel. During the first 2 years the system suffered black-out twice - one time in quite harsh weather. The result of this was that the turret moved freely within the m o o n p o o l - only limited by the maximum stroke of the horizontal bearings (aboutl00mm). Even though the situation was quite dramatic for the operators - no personal injuries or material damages were reported. The Asgard vessel was equipped with an upgraded hydraulic power unit based on the Norne experience- and no situations with loss of hydraulic power have been reported. The HPU on the Norne FPSO was also substituted with a new unit with higher capacity during year 2000. To improve the performance of the Norne bearing system the tbllowing modifications are planned to be implemented during 2001: The sliding pad material is modified to increase wear resistance. The bearing head is secured to the bearing rod to eliminate any risk for bearing head "fall-off'.

Turret behavior - Performance of Upper Bearing System

The sliding bearing systems have been used on several turrets - with Asgard A as the most recent. The overall system has been working well despite some problems (described below). The possibility of substituting parts of the system while the rest of the system is still operative has been found to be an advantage during operation.

As a result of the above experiences the turret bearing system proposed for new projects is upgraded as follows:

333

The hydraulic "spring" of the horizontal bearing is substituted with mechanical springs. The lower fender is re-designed with a low friction surface material. The gap at the lower fender is reduced to absorb more of the horizontal mooring forces and also to limit the tilt of the turret.

Despite the name 'flexible", these high pressure jumpers are extremely stiff when pressurized. The major contribution to fatigue loading of the swivel stack and the transfer piping between the swivel and the gantry relates to bending moment in the jumpers. On the/ksgard A laser sensors are installed at the top of the swivel stack to measure the relative deflections in the longitudinal and transverse directions and record the time history of them. Further, strain sensors were mounted at the duplex pipe spools connected to the swivel. Deflection and strain recordings are collected continuously as a basis for planned verification studies. After about half a year of operation Statoil and Maritime Tentech performed a study of the recorded data. The main conclusion tYom this study was that measured loads in the transfer system were comfortably within the design capacity of the system - documenting that the design calculations were conservative. For seastates up to and including Hs 4-5m wave excited deflections, and hence tbrces in the transfer system, are hardly seen at all. This is caused by the tact that the friction of the bearings is not exceeded for these situations, and the turret and vessel behaves more or less as one body. The effects of this is that the wear on the bearings themselves and the swivel stack is extremely small under these circumstances. The only motion and wear in this situation is related to turret turning. Since the number of occurrences is very high for the lower seastates, the design fatigue calculations of the transfer system were found to be conservative with respect to wave excitation. For severe weather, the vessel motion and mooring forces tbrce the turret to move inside the moonpool. The maximum horizontal motion at the top of the turret (swivel stack) is significant. So far the performance of the jumpers has been good with no reported fatigue or wear damages. The maximum measured horizontal turret deflection (dynamic) in moderate weather (Hs ~- 5m) was only 2-3mm on Asgard during the ftrst months of recordings. This indicates that the system is close to "static" in moderate seastates

Laboratory tests have revealed that the friction factor of the bearings is in the order of 5% to 15%. The low friction is seen tbr clean system which has just been sliding. The high limit may typically occur after a long static period. Polluted grease is also a factor which contributes to the upper limit for the friction factor. Free rotation of the turret may happen if the torque from the mooring system overcomes the frictional torque from the bearings. This situation has occurred a few times at the Norne FPSO, and one time during offshore installation of Asgard A. In tact tree turret rotation has occurred at as low twist angles as about 10 degrees. The main worry in this situation is that personnel could get injured in the interface area between the rotating turret and the stair towers. Personnel injuries have not happened during the reported events of tree turret rotation To avoid this situation the turning criteria has been altered. The vessel operators try to keep the turret in a neutral position (no twist of mooring lines and risers) during all phases of operation. When preparing for a heading change to adapt to changing weather direction, the turret position is turned more or less simultaneously with the vessel rotation. The maximum relative rotation of the turret is set to 5-7 degrees relative to neutral. After the implementation of the more stringent requirements, tree turret rotation has not occurred. operational

Bearing forces The system for calculation of bearing forces has been operated for a period of about two years at Asgard. In practice, load levels close to the maximum allowable have not been recorded. Mooring line tension Mooring line tension is continuously measured by means of load cells installed at each mooring winch. These recordings are available at the central control room. The line tension is monitored and an alarm is triggered it the tension exceeds the pre set alarm level.
In practice the line tension monitoring has not revealed any tension recordings close to the maximum design values. The line tension has not been found to decrease (or increase)significantly during the first years of operation. On Asgard A the vessel offset is found to be in the order of 10-20m tbr 30 knots wind and 20-30m at 50 knots wind. Inspection has been performed tbr the mooring chain, the fairleads and the submerged parts of the Norne turret. Neither wear, corrosion or any other damages has been seen so tar.

Performance of Turning System Some hydraulic fluid leaks have been e x p e r i e n c e d - mainly in fittings. The important lesson learnt is that any fittings or flanged connections of high pressure systems must be easily accessible tbr inspection and repair.
Further, fatigue cracking was experienced on the grippers of the Norne turret at a stress hot spot. All grippers at Norne have been upgraded to improve their fatigue performance by removing the sharp notch. The turning system has proven to be a critical system for the sliding bearing based turrets. It is found to be of great importance that the system is designed with full redundancy (2 x 100%) and good access for service.

Relative deflections and strain in transfer system As mentioned the turret rests on flexible bearings, hence relative deflection between the turret and the vessel occurs. This relative deflection is caused by a number of factors, among these: inertia, vessel sag/ hog, mooring forces, buoyancy etc. Flexible jumpers absorb the relative deflection between the turret and the vessel. These are connected to Duplex spools on the swivel and the gantry.
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Working conditions in turret area Working conditions are presented based on reports from operating staff at Asgard A.

Access is in general acceptable with minor exceptions. Facilities for material handling have been subject to upgrading as a result of mechanical break down. The appliances tbr personnel protection are tbund to be adequate, and no injuries have been reported. Weather protection panels are installed at the tbrward and port side of the stairtower, along the tbrward and port edges of the gantry deck as well as on the swivel protection structure. These protection facilities are found to give the wanted effect. For specific headings, equipment on the swivel deck are quite exposed to w e a t h e r - and the operators would prefer to see local protection at these locations. Material handling in the turret area is based on use of temporary winches, local davits, trolleys etc. The operators would prefer to see more permanent means tbr material handling. Service access to the lilting equipment should also be better.

CONCLUSIONS The overall regularity of the Statoil operated Tentech FPSOs Asgard A and Norne has not been negatively affected by turret system downtime. The redundancy built into the systems are tbund to be a great advantage and may be also a necessity in operation. The combination of sliding bearings and active heading control is tbund to work well in the harsh weather conditions in the North Sea. The active heading control is used to limit the vessel motion by selecting the most favorable attack direction on windwaves and swell. Close tbcus must be kept on the inspection and maintenance of the sliding bearing s y s t e m - ensuring that lubrication is pertbrmed at specified intervals. Focus must be kept on Material handling during design. Lilting gear, procedures and accessibility tbr IMR are important factors tbr a successtul design. Operator training is an important factor tbr the successthl operation of such complicated systems as treated in this paper

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