South China Sea, June 10 — The cylindrical Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit (FPSO) HAIKUI-1 has been successfully installed and moored in the Liuhua oilfield, located approximately 240 km southeast of Shenzhen, marking a major milestone in China’s deepwater oilfield redevelopment.
FBR (Four Brothers Rope) supplied high-performance deepwater polyester mooring ropes for the project, supporting the long-term stability of one of the most complex offshore mooring systems deployed in the region.
The FPSO was developed by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) as part of China’s first deepwater oilfield secondary development project.
Project Context: Challenges in Deepwater FPSO Mooring Systems
Deepwater FPSO mooring systems must operate under extreme environmental and structural conditions, including:
- High wind loads and wave forces
- Long-term cyclic loading in deepwater environments
- Complex installation and positioning requirements
For cylindrical FPSOs, the challenge is even greater. Due to their high center of gravity and large windage area, these structures are more prone to rotation, making precise positioning and stable mooring significantly more difficult.
Technical Solution: Deepwater Polyester Mooring System
To secure HAIKUI-1 in place, the project deployed a 12-point mooring system, consisting of:
- Suction anchors installed on the seabed
- Anchor chains and mid-water buoys
- Deepwater polyester mooring ropes
FBR supplied 8 ultra-large polyester ropes (4 mooring lines) as a critical part of the system.
Key Specifications of FBR Polyester Mooring Ropes:
- Length: over 1,300 meters per rope
- Diameter: 274 mm
- Weight: approximately 80 tons per rope
- Minimum breaking strength: 2,306 tons
The ropes are constructed with:
- High-strength polyester fiber core
- Abrasion-resistant braided outer jacket
- Advanced anti-abrasion and anti-biofouling protection technology
The solution is certified by DNV and designed for long-term deepwater permanent mooring applications.
Engineering Breakthroughs in Deepwater Mooring
The development of these polyester mooring ropes addressed several key technical challenges:
- Stiffness consistency in ultra-large polyester ropes
- Precision in mechanical parameter testing
- Long-term creep and fatigue performance in deepwater conditions
Through extensive testing and process optimization, FBR established a complete manufacturing and design methodology for large-scale deepwater polyester ropes.
Proven Application: Stable Installation and Positioning
The mooring system was successfully installed and connected offshore, enabling HAIKUI-1 to achieve precise positioning in the Liuhua oilfield.
During installation:
- All mooring lines were deployed and tensioned successfully
- The FPSO achieved stable positioning under offshore conditions
- The system is designed for continuous operation of up to 15 years without dry-docking
The polyester mooring ropes play a key role in maintaining long-term structural stability.
Why It Matters: Reliability in Deepwater Oil & Gas Operations
Deepwater FPSO mooring systems are critical to safe and continuous oil production.
Failure or instability can result in:
- Production downtime
- Structural risks to offshore assets
- Increased maintenance and operational costs
High-performance polyester mooring ropes provide:
- Load stability under dynamic offshore conditions
- Long service life with reduced maintenance
- Reliable positioning for floating production systems
This enables more efficient and safer deepwater oilfield development.
Supporting Deepwater Offshore Engineering
FBR continues to develop advanced synthetic rope solutions for offshore oil & gas, FPSO systems, and deepwater mooring applications where safety, durability, and long-term performance are critical.
