Question

Which of the following statements is/are CORRECT about the floating production, storage, and offloading systems (FPSOs)?

• A. Existing tankers cannot be converted into FPSOs.
• B. FPSOs can be selected in the absence of any pipeline infrastructure.
• C. FPSOs cannot process the produced fluids.
• D. FPSOs can be used for the storage of produced crude oil.

Hint:

Remember what the letters F, P, S, O in FPSO stand for, production and storage are both built into the name.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B, D

Step 1: Expand the acronym FPSO and use it as a checklist:
FPSO stands for Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading. Each of these four words describes a capability the facility must have, floating means it is a vessel not a fixed structure, production means it processes the well stream, storage means it holds the processed oil on board, and offloading means it transfers that oil to a transport vessel.
Step 2: Check option (A) against the floating and conversion aspect:
Since an FPSO is essentially a ship shaped vessel, and oil tankers already have large hull volumes suited for storage, the offshore industry regularly converts retired or existing tankers into FPSOs by adding topside processing modules and a mooring or turret system, which is usually cheaper and faster than building a new hull. Therefore the claim in option (A) that conversion is not possible is false.
Step 3: Check option (B) against the offloading capability:
Because an FPSO stores oil and offloads it to shuttle tankers rather than exporting it continuously through a pipeline, it does not depend on any subsea or onshore pipeline network being present. This makes FPSOs the preferred development option for fields in deepwater or remote locations where pipeline infrastructure does not exist or is not economical, confirming option (B) is true.
Step 4: Check option (C) against the production capability:
The production part of the name refers to onboard topside processing, separation of oil, gas and water, dehydration, gas compression and water treatment, all of which happen on the FPSO before the oil is stored. So the claim in option (C) that FPSOs cannot process produced fluids directly contradicts the production capability built into the facility, making it false.
Step 5: Check option (D) against the storage capability:
The storage part of the name directly refers to holding the processed crude oil in the vessel's cargo tanks until a shuttle tanker arrives for offloading, so option (D) is true by definition.
Final Answer:
\[ \boxed{\text{(B) and (D) are correct}} \]