Norwegian oil company starts construction of digital repository on FPSO

The Norwegian company Aker BP, active in oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, has installed a Roboze Plus Pro 3D printer on board the SKARV platform for the first time. A 3D printer is used to print fiber-reinforced plastic parts on the platform. It is the platform’s first step towards a digital warehouse.

Produce components directly on it Floating Production Storage and Offloading Platform (FPSO)Where oil and gas are temporarily stored, it represents a paradigm shift in the approach to maintenance and management of marine supplies. This innovation not only increases operational efficiency, but also reduces environmental impact by reducing waste and on-site production. Storage space on this floating platform is limited and therefore expensive; Downtime due to broken out-of-stock parts is more expensive. Therefore, local production using 3D printing can play a key role. All you have to do is stock up on materials and print the parts on demand.

3D printing of parts solves the problem of lack of space on board the FPSO platform

Video about the digital warehouse on the platform.

There are no problems with corrosion

Italian Robose In collaboration with Biesterfeld Norge AS, a chemical and plastics supplier, and Aker BP, a Norwegian oil and gas company, they created a video about on-demand 3D printing on the platform. This also discusses in more detail the importance of high-performance plastics in a sector known for its corrosion-sensitive environment. The use of plastics can reduce the defects and risks associated with metal components in the marine industry.

The nearest resource is 200 km away

Superpolymers such as PEEK, PEKK and carbon PEEK prevent parts wear problems, says Ketil Ekland, on-board production manager. In addition, the maintenance team can instantly print parts that break the design or even modify it to improve it. The nearest supplier is 200 km away from the platform. Delivery times vary from weeks to months. Digital storage and 3D printing reduce this lead time to hours.

Image above: Relevant platform (Aker BP image)