ICCP system to protect Papa Terra FPSO

Offshore staff

CHESTERFIELD, UK -- Cathelco is to supply a hull corrosion protection system for the P63 FPSO for Petrobras’ Papa Terra oil field off Brazil.

The FPSO is being converted from the 323,000 dwt ultra large crude carrier BW Nisa, built in 1985. Owner BW Offshore is supervising the marine scope of the conversion at the COSCO (Dalian) shipyard in China. The vessel is due to be delivered by end-March.

Cathelco is providing an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system to protect the underwater surface of the hull against corrosion.

The ICCP incorporates four power units positioned throughout the length of the vessel. This arrangement allows anodes and reference electrodes to be located on the hull in forward, midships, and stern sections to optimize distribution of impressed current around the vessel.

In operation, the reference electrodes will measure the electrical potential at the hull/seawater interface and transmit a reading to the control panel which increases or decreases output to the anodes.

Another feature is a centralized controller that enables all four control panels to be monitored and controlled from a single location. It provides a graphical representation of the system, with anode outputs displayed individually along with readings from the various reference electrodes.

In addition, the controller stores the readings for each ICCP unit on a daily basis and generates monthly log readings for analysis by Cathelco engineers.

02/14/2011