CNOOC starts construction of storage, offloading unit

Asia's first cylinder-shaped floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit which was independently designed and fabricated in China – began construction on Wednesday in Qingdao, Shandong province, said its operator China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

With a daily crude oil processing capacity of almost 6,000 cubic meters, the floating production storage and offloading unit has a maximum crude storage capacity of 60,000 cubic meters, said Liu Huaxiang, general manager of deepwater engineering construction department, CNOOC Limited-Shenzhen.

With a designed life of 30 years, it can operate offshore for 15 years in a row and is capable of maintaining operations in super typhoons, he said.

A floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit is a floating vessel used by the offshore oil and gas industry to process hydrocarbons and for storage of oil or natural gas.