World floating production sector set for strong growth

摘要

The global floating production sector is set to see continued growth in the future,with annual expenditures reaching over 9.8bn by 2011.To date,four main types of FPS(floating production system)have been deployed in different parts of the world-floating production storage and offloading vessels(FPSOs),floating production semi-submersibles(FPSSs),tension leg platforms(TLPs)and Spars.A number of production barges have also been deployed in Asian and African waters,and a new cylindrical design of FPSO is also being deployed off the UK and Brazil.The floating production sector came into being in 1975 with the installation of the Transworld 58,a converted semi-submersible drilling rig,on Hamilton Brothers' Argyll field in the UK sector of the North Sea.