Offshore support logistics has become a new area of knowledge in the Oil & Gas segment, since, more and more, oil exploration and production companies demand high levels of service from operations support activities. This is a consequence of the impacts that failures in the logistical process can cause to the system, such as, for example, production stoppages and delay in the drilling schedule of a certain well.
With regard to financial factors, it is important to emphasize that the cost of this operation is quite high given that its logistics chain comprises the storage and land transport of cargo, port operation and maritime transport to maritime units, in addition to activities such as passenger transport and services such as movement of maritime units. In addition, high investments in infrastructure will be necessary, since, with the increase in oil production in the Santos Basin, new offshore support terminals will need to be built. It is worth mentioning that these projects have very long terms, due to political interests and the difficulty in obtaining environmental licenses.
For all these reasons, it is extremely important that all the links in this chain are efficient, so that a high level of service can be offered to maritime units with optimal use of the assets needed in this operation.
For this objective to be met, it is necessary to understand in detail each stage of the process, knowing its main risks. It is also essential to have a planning area that can ensure the integration and synchronization of the entire chain, as inefficiencies will be generated throughout the process if the links seek their optimal locations. In addition, it is important that the operation is controlled by indicators that will identify flaws in the chain, making it possible to act in the stage that is not meeting the plan, minimizing the impact on the final service to the maritime units.
OFFSHORE SUPPORT LOGISTICS
Offshore Support Logistics can be divided into three major types of operations: Cargo Logistics, Passenger Logistics and Services.
- Cargo Logistics: It is responsible for moving all types of cargo necessary for the drilling and production operations of the offshore units. These loads can be separated into three types: general cargo (pipes, ranch, chemical materials, tools, subsea equipment, etc.), solid and liquid bulk (cement, barite, bentonite, well fluid, water, etc.) .
- General cargo: Very diversified cargo (from screws to wet Christmas trees), which are loaded on the deck of the vessels and go directly to the maritime units. It is worth mentioning that the operation is strongly impacted by emergencies, mainly at the drilling units.
- Solid and liquid bulk: The products are shipped directly to their destination by PSV-type vessels, after being stored in plants at offshore service ports. It is important to mention that the reduced number of SKUs and the way they are stored allows a good part of the stock to be positioned in the port.
- Diesel oil: Depending on the scale of the operation, the demand for this product can be met by support vessels, which are supplied at a maritime hub. Otherwise, the PSVs receive the oil at anchorage or moored in the berth to serve the offshore units.
- Passenger Logistics: It deals with the movement of people between the mainland and the maritime units. This operation is carried out by helicopters and has a strong focus on operational safety.
- Services: These are vessels that provide services to the production and drilling units. These services range from moving anchors and units to fighting fires or oil spills.
Figure 1 – Types of operations
Source: ILOS
As previously described, the topic Offshore Support Logistics is quite comprehensive, so this article will specifically address the steps and the planning and control of the logistics chain regarding the movement of general cargo that is sent to the maritime units.
LOGISTICS PROCESS
Before starting to detail the logistics process, it is important to describe the five main types of cargo that are handled in this operation, as each of these groups is treated differently along the chain.
- Unitized general cargo: Materials with reduced weight that need to be unitized, that is, placed in containers (baskets, containers, metal boxes, etc.) to be sent to maritime units. It is the most representative type when analyzing the number of orders.
- Large loads: These are large loads that require cranes to be moved. In addition, they may require special trucks to move them.
- Tubes: Due to their length, they are loads that are difficult to move, which is carried out by large forklifts with special forks or cranes. Orders do not have a high frequency, however, requests are made in large quantities that need different treatment within the logistics chain. It is worth mentioning that these tubes, in many cases, cannot be stored in the rigs due to lack of space and that the delay in their delivery can compromise the drilling of a well – an operation with an extremely high cost.
- Food: These are loads with stable demand, but with pressure for a high level of service. They need refrigerated or refrigerated containers to be handled, as they are generally perishable cargo.
- Chemical products: These are products used, for the most part, by production units that need to be stored in special areas prepared to contain possible leaks.
These loads are handled by the logistical process, which is divided into storage, cargo consolidation, land transport, port operation and maritime transport, and there are materials that are transported directly to the port by suppliers.
Figure 2 - Logistic Process
Source: ILOS
STORAGE
A warehouse focused on oil production and exploration operations is not characterized by a “nervous” operation like a distribution center focused on retail, not requiring a high degree of automation. However, its process does not differ from the industry standard, being divided into receiving, storage, picking and shipping.
Its area is divided into two zones: internal shed and external area. The internal warehouse must contain a pallet structure for small-sized materials that are moved by pantographic forklifts and another structure for medium-sized materials that require larger positions, aisles and equipment. As there are chemicals stored in drums and buckets, part of the standard pallet structure must be located in a contained area. It is also necessary to have cantilever-type structures for storing long, small materials and a blocked area so that loads of large dimensions and weights, which need to be stored in a covered area, can be stored.
For efficient use of the WMS (Warehouse management system) in this zone, it is important that small loads are packed in standardized boxes, as, in this way, it is possible to calculate the dimensions of the pallet positions given the high number of SKUs with different dimensions that are stored in this warehouse.
The outdoor area must be organized with large aisles so that large forklifts and cranes can operate efficiently. This zone must contain cantilever-type structures for large pipes that are stored in small quantities and structures called pipe yards, used for pipes in large quantities, with the rest of the area organized in boxes that, in case they are used for storage of chemical tanks, must be in a contained area.
A vital area for the efficient operation of this warehouse is the handling of materials, which is responsible for keeping loads in proper condition to be used whenever they are requested by the maritime units. This is because most of the materials have very low turnover, that is, they can remain in stock for long periods, and are high technology.
CARGO CONSOLIDATION
This stage is responsible for collecting the cargo shipped by the warehouse and preparing them for land and sea transport.
Small loads need to be unitized, that is, placed in containers, and the tubes need to be tied in bundles, as this is the only way they can be loaded onto vessels. As a result, it is essential that this area has efficient management of the cycle of its main equipment, containers and slings (material for tying the tubes and enabling the movement of containers by cranes), since the time in which this equipment is retained in the maritime units have a strong impact on their conservation status and size. In a simplified way, the amount of equipment needed is equal to the daily demand multiplied by its cycle time in days, with the time spent at sea being the most representative component of this cycle.
In addition, it is important to emphasize that this stage of the process is strongly impacted by the frequency of service to maritime units, since, if this frequency is high, the amount of cargo per container will be lower, causing a reduction in the size of containers, and, consequently, an increase in the amount of movement required in consolidation, port operation and maritime transport.
LAND TRANSPORT
The next step in the process is land transport, which is responsible for sending the cargo already prepared from the warehouse to the port. It is worth noting that in addition to traditional semi-trailer trailers, low-floor trailers are needed (heavy load handling) and equipment with extensive planks (riser handling).
For this operation, it is recommended that there are dedicated assets, since, in general, the warehouses are located close to the port and the shipment must respect a restricted delivery window throughout the day and because there is a return flow of backload loads (materials and containers returning from maritime units) that need to be removed from the port. However, as there are large requests for loads, especially when it comes to moving pipes, it is necessary to use spot trucks so that this demand is met without impacting the transport of other materials.
PORT OPERATION
The port operation includes receiving the cargo, positioning it in the pre-shipment area, moving it to the pier and loading the vessel. Thus, for this operation to be efficient, it is important that the offshore support terminal is organized in the following areas:
- Screening: Place where the cargo, documentation and delivery window are checked before the trailer enters the port. If there is any non-compliance, the equipment cannot be sent to the operational area.
- Trailer Parking: Place where the trailers wait to load the vessel.
- Pool of Trailers: Area where the trailers that make the internal movement of the port are positioned, while they are not operating, facilitating the visual control and increasing the speed in loading and unloading the vessel, as these resources are not dispersed in the port area.
- Pre-shipment: Place where loads are positioned to await shipment. It is important to emphasize that the materials must not remain for a long period in this place, since the pre-shipment capacity is measured in hours*m2, that is, the longer it waits for loading, the greater the occupation of this area. In addition, the materials that are moved by forklifts must be organized according to their vessel, as this allows visual control, facilitating the loading of the PSV. Tubes and heavy loads, on the other hand, must be positioned in a separate area without segregation per vessel, as the amount of these loads varies greatly and because the crane, the equipment used to move this type of load, must not move through different areas, since it has Reduced mobility.
- Retroport: Area where the loads returned from the units are destined. It must be organized according to who is responsible for removing the cargo from the port. It is important that a deadline be established with suppliers for the removal of materials from the port, with contractual fines established for cases of non-compliance with the agreement.
In addition to this organization, the operation must be planned so that the streets always have one direction and all areas must have segregated zones for trucks, loads and equipment, with entry and exit in different places. In addition, the layout must be constructed in such a way as to reduce the number of trailers close to the berths as much as possible, using, whenever possible, a forklift to supply the pier.
MARITIME TRANSPORT
It is the stage responsible for moving cargo from the offshore support terminal to the maritime units, using, in most cases, the following types of vessels:
- PSV (Platform Supply Vessel): Vessel, with square footage that can vary from 250 m2 to 900 m2, used for the movement of cargo with normal priority and emergency requests that cannot be shipped at the UT for safety reasons.
- UT (Utility): Equipment, with about 150 m2, used for the transport of emergency loads, since its speed is considerably higher than that of the PSV. It is worth noting that this vessel is restricted to handling large-sized and high-density loads (ton/m2).
In order to serve maritime units, vessels must be organized in docking windows with a defined time for docking and leaving the port, which must be planned considering the following types:
- Vessel for Normal Cargo: Meets the standard demand of maritime units through fixed routes defined from the geographical position of the rigs and platforms.
- Vessel for Emergency Cargo: Responsible for meeting emergency orders through routes that are defined according to operational needs.
- Special Vessel: Used to move large requests for risers and tubes, as one of these requests can occupy a large part of the vessel.
It is important to emphasize that this is the stage with the highest operational cost, being responsible for up to 80% of the total cost of the chain. With this, the operation must be efficient in the use of vessels, seeking to increase the occupation of these assets, reducing their cycle time through fleet management that is able to plan optimal routes and work together with the chain so that this equipment remains as short as possible. possible in maritime units and in the port.
OPERATION PLANNING AND CONTROL
As detailed throughout the article, the operation has an extensive process, with different groups of cargo with different priorities that are loaded on different types of vessels and ports (depending on the scale of the operation). Thus, if planning is carried out in a decentralized manner by each of the operational areas, the process will present the problems described in Figure 3.
Figure 3 - Inefficiencies arising from lack of planning and control of the operation
Source: ILOS
So that these failures do not occur, it is essential that there is a Planning and Control area that has a vision of the process as a whole and that manages to plan it in order to integrate and synchronize all the links in the chain. This synchronization must be carried out from the dispatch and unitization schedule, the definition of delivery windows, the organization of the port area, the deck schedule and the definition of the vessel.
Figure 4 - Key points for planning the operation
Source: ILOS
This planning must be built from the delivery date of the order which, depending on the maritime time for its fulfillment, will be allocated to a vessel with a defined mooring window in the port. From this window on, the deadlines for the operational areas will be determined so that the cargo is at the port at the correct time for loading. In this way, the operation focuses on execution, without worrying about scheduling or contacting the customer. It is important to note that without this schedule, it is not possible to organize cargo in the port area according to the vessel, as there is no visibility of which cargo will arrive or on which vessel it will be loaded.
Figure 5 - Operation "pulled" by vessels and advance planning
Source: ILOS
In this way, it is possible to negotiate service deadlines with the customer, since there is a structured process in which it is possible to identify the limit moment in which requests can be issued, which vary according to type, priority, location and destination of the cargo.
Another key role of this area is to maintain integration with suppliers that deliver cargo directly to the port. This flow of information must be supported by a web portal where suppliers can view planned orders and the respective shipping windows for the port.
It is important to note that these deadlines can be changed throughout the year, if the operation is seasonally impacted by adverse sea conditions. These changes must be accompanied by a contingency plan, which must include advance planning of the demands of the maritime units and availability of more vessels, since these conditions will increase their cycle time, thus reducing their availability in the port to carry out new services. .
With this structured planning process, it is possible to control the operation, as it is possible to identify, at a given moment, whether the order is being processed according to plan. To assist in this control, the Planning area must control the interfaces between the steps, with the operation being responsible for identifying the root cause of non-compliance with the plan. These indicators must be built to analyze the points described in figure 6.
Figure 6 - Diagram with points to be analyzed to define which stage of the chain is not
meeting the plan
Source: ILOS
CONCLUSION AND CRITICAL POINTS OF THE OPERATION
In conclusion, it is important to reinforce the importance of the existence of a Planning and Control area that guarantees the integration and synchronization of all the links in the chain and that manages to structure a process to attend to the different types of loads (eg large requests for pipes and emergencies ), a contingency plan for times of adverse weather conditions, an efficient fleet management that guarantees the availability and high utilization of vessels and an effective control over the cycle of containers that will guarantee availability of equipment so that the loads can be be unitized.
Figure 7 - Critical points of the operation
Source: ILOS
