FSO and FPSO projects involve some of the most challenging lifting environments in the offshore industry. These floating facilities contain complex equipment, processing systems, storage areas and machinery that require regular maintenance, replacement and upgrades.

An FPSO, or Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, is a floating offshore facility designed to produce and process hydrocarbons, store crude oil and offload it to another vessel for transportation. An FSO, or Floating Storage and Offloading vessel, is primarily used to store and transfer crude oil.

Because these facilities operate offshore and have limited deck space, equipment handling can become challenging when existing cranes cannot reach a particular area, have insufficient capacity, are unavailable or are already occupied with routine operations. This is where Projects on FSO & FPSO lifting solutions can provide additional capability.

FPSOs typically have cranes and lifting appliances positioned around the vessel. However, their operating radius does not necessarily cover every part of the deck or all production and processing modules. Some equipment may also require complex rigging, skidding or positioning that is not practical with the vessel’s existing crane infrastructure.

In these situations, a temporary modular crane can provide the additional lifting capability required for a specific project.

Instead of relying entirely on the existing FPSO crane or mobilising a large lift vessel, a portable crane can be installed closer to the work area and configured around the project’s lifting requirements.

This can be particularly useful for equipment replacement, machinery upgrades, maintenance activities, topside modifications and other non-routine lifting operations.

FSO and FPSO projects involve some of the most challenging lifting environments in the offshore industry. These floating facilities contain complex equipment, processing systems, storage areas and machinery that require regular maintenance, replacement and upgrades.

An FPSO, or Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, is a floating offshore facility designed to produce and process hydrocarbons, store crude oil and offload it to another vessel for transportation. An FSO, or Floating Storage and Offloading vessel, is primarily used to store and transfer crude oil.

Because these facilities operate offshore and have limited deck space, equipment handling can become challenging when existing cranes cannot reach a particular area, have insufficient capacity, are unavailable or are already occupied with routine operations.

This is where Projects on FSO & FPSO lifting solutions can provide additional capability.

A temporary modular crane does not necessarily replace the FPSO’s existing crane.

Instead, it provides an additional lifting option when the existing crane is out of reach, unavailable, de-rated or required for routine operations.

This can help minimise disruption to normal FPSO activities while allowing specialised maintenance, construction and equipment replacement work to continue.

Thunder Cranes highlights reduced disruption to routine crane operations, reduced production downtime and improved operational uptime as key benefits of its modular FPSO lifting approach.

The main advantage of a modular crane is flexibility.

The equipment can be configured according to the FPSO or FSO layout, lifting requirements and available space. Modular systems can also provide an alternative to mobilising a large lift vessel for selected lifting projects.

Thunder Cranes states that its FPSO modular crane solutions can offer lower mobilisation costs and day rates compared with lift vessels, while providing a stable lifting platform positioned directly on the vessel.

From feasibility studies and engineering to crane installation, load testing, operation and maintenance, Thunder Cranes provides a complete lifting support approach for projects on FSO and FPSO vessels.

When the existing crane cannot reach the job, the solution is not always a bigger vessel. Sometimes it is the right crane, positioned exactly where it is needed.