scope:

This Recommended Practice (RP) provides guidelines for design, fabrication, installation, inspection and operation of Floating Production Systems (FPSs). The basic function of a FPS is to receive hydrocarbons from the wellhead, process the hydrocarbons, and store and/or offload the product to a shuttle tanker or convey it to a pipeline system. A FPS may be designed with the capability of one or more stages of hydrocarbon processing, as well as drilling, well workover, product storage, and export. This RP addresses only floating systems where a buoyant hull of some form supports the deck, production, and other systems. The buoyant hull can be of a column-stabilized, ship-shaped, or other form, that is maintained on location by a suitable station keeping system. Bottom-fixed components, such as self-supporting risers, and station keeping systems, such as turret mooring, Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM), Single Anchor Leg Mooring (SALM), etc. are considered as ancillary components and are addressed in more detail in other API recommended practices.

Tension Leg Platforms (TLP) and Fixed Offshore Platforms are not addressed in this document. These platform types are defined and addressed in API RPs 2T and 2A, respectively. Production systems supported by self-elevating platforms (jackups) and submersibles (bottom sitting) are also excluded.

FPS technology is evolving rapidly, with new system configurations and component designs appearing frequently. Several different types of FPSs have been installed and many more have been proposed. Consequently, this RP does not address specific FPS configurations. Instead, design guidance for various common system components is provided in this document.