Permanently moored off the coast 200km south of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, the Akpo Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) was commissioned in 2005 by Total Upstream Nigeria in the Akpo deep-water oil and gas field. Due to proven technology and a proven track record, AkzoNobel was chosen to supply fire and corrosion protection coatings for the Akpo FPSO.

The vessel is 310 meters in length with facilities for 240 crew members and storage for two million barrels of oil. With two processing trains for the separation of oil and water, and an average production capacity of 225,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, the Akpo FPSO is a high-value installation. The risk of catastrophic hydrocarbon fires was a significant concern during construction, as was the risk of metal corrosion in the harsh offshore conditions.

With outstanding technical knowledge and a long, successful track record in the new-build FPSO market, AkzoNobel was selected as the protective coatings supplier for the project. Chosen from the market-leading Chartek range of fire protection products, Chartek 7 is a light-weight epoxy intumescent ideal for providing PFP (Passive Fire Protection) in offshore installations, due to its excellent water and chemical resistance.

A staple of new construction projects, Chartek systems last up to the design life of the asset, providing a continuous and maintenance-free fire protection solution. It’s lightweight properties and flexibility also provide productivity benefits, by streamlining the application stage of construction.

Complementing this streamlined fire protection solution, full anti-corrosive performance was also achieved in combination with two other AkzoNobel products: Intershield 300 and Intertherm 751CSA. Intershield 300 is an aluminium epoxy coating designed to prevent corrosion on the external hull, cargo tanks and ballast tanks, while Intertherm 751CSA is specialized to protect equipment operating between -29 °c and 400 °c.

By meeting the majority of the vessel’s protective coating requirements with just three coatings, AkzoNobel was able to help reduce specification complexity significantly. Not only did this streamline the new construction process, but it is set to provide ongoing benefits by reducing maintenance requirements as well.

Location of Project: Nigeria
Main Products Used: Intershield 300, Intertherm 751CSA and Chartek 7
Project Size: 300,880m2
Project Owner: Total Nigeria