Impact of Marlin on Crude Oil Export Operations

摘要

The risk of an export buoy's loading hose being pierced by the spear of a billfish such as marlin is very real. Suchrnincidents are proving especially frequent on FPSOs offshore Angola, where several cases are recorded every year.rnThe consequences can be critical, to the extent of halting production if storage capacity aboard is insufficient torncover the time it takes to replace the damaged item. This is precisely what happened on Girassol in January 2010,rnresulting in shortfalls in the region of 790,000 barrels.rnThe Angolan deep offshore, where most of the country's FPSOs are concentrated, is conducive to therndevelopment of marlin as the waters bordering on the continental plateau stay warm and clear for the greater partrnof the year. In fact, petroleum activities themselves tend to draw marlin by attracting the species they feed on to thernlocations.rnThe attacks on flexibles are not deliberate, but the collateral damage, as it were, of the creatures' huntingrnexcursions. As there is no known deterrent, episodic recurrences are to be expected.rnThe best way of coping with these incidents is to be prepared for them by keeping spare hoses on site and havingrnthe appropriate vessels, procedures and personnel ready to quickly replace the damaged item. The developmentrnof temporary repair kits should also improve the response.