Nigeria FPSO explosion highlights 'floating bombs' danger – report
Quantum Commodity Intelligence – An ageing oil tanker being used for floating production storage and offloading (FPSO), which exploded and sunk off the coast of Nigeria in 2022 has highlighted the dangers of ancient vessels utilised in the industry.
A review by the Associated Press' global investigative team found that the Trinity Spirit was in a state of near-total disrepair, while systems meant to be in place to ensure safe operations – including annual inspections, a flag registry, and insurance – were almost non-existent.
Based on a review of court documents, ship databases, and interviews with crew members, the AP report found that the 46-year-old very large crude carrier (VLCC) is part of a pattern of ancient vessels utilised in the storage and extraction of oil, even though on the brink of mechanical failure.
Jan-Erik Vinnem, an expert in the risks of offshore oil production, said he's sometimes shocked when he sees photos of tankers operating in Africa.
"I call them 'floating bombs,'" he told AP.
The report found at least eight floating storage vessels had been involved in major incidents in the past decade, while more than 30 tankers still in operation are older than the Trinity Spirit was when it exploded.
According to local news reports at the time, the Trinity Spirit exploded at the Ukpokiti oil field off Nigeria's coast, near the Escravos terminal and close to the River Niger Delta.
The FPSO was built in 1976 and was on long-term lease to Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL), which is owned by a consortium of Nigerian and overseas corporate entities.
SEPCOL was in receivership at the time, according to local reports.
Insurance
The Trinity Spirit was believed to have gone without insurance for nearly a decade, while it was classed as a stateless vessel after losing the right to fly the flag of Liberia.
When it broke in two and began to sink, the Trinity Spirit had around 40,000 barrels of oil onboard but was capable of storing up to two million barrels, which is a standard VLCC capacity.
The AP identified the Al-Zaafarana, moored off the coast of Egypt, as one of the oldest working vessels still in operation at 54 years. It also revealed FPSOs in Malaysia and Brazil over 50 years old.
In Nigeria, the FPSO Mystras is still in service at 47 years old despite reports of structural issues on the vessel, which has not been properly inspected for at least three years.
According to the environmental group SkyTruth, there are some 240 FPSOs in operation today, of which over half are recycled tankers rather than specialist vessels.
Tankers from the 1970s and 1980s constructed before double hulls became mandatory were typically built for a lifespan of around 25 years, meaning some FPSOs have doubled that timeline, often spending decades in the same place once its oceangoing days are over.
Ageing vessels are not confined to floating storage. Earlier this year, an ageing tanker employed to ship sanctioned Iranian oil to China exploded off the coast of Indonesia after a dangerous buildup of gas while ballasting.
