Why Passive Fire Protection Jackets Are Ideal for FPSO Facilities
Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facilities operate in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Beyond harsh weather and corrosive conditions, operators must also prepare for the possibility of hydrocarbon fires that can threaten critical process equipment and, ultimately, the safety of personnel and the continuity of production.
While active fire protection systems are designed to detect and suppress fires, Passive Fire Protection (PFP) provides continuous protection without requiring activation. For equipment that must remain structurally sound during an emergency, removable Passive Fire Protection Jackets offer an effective solution that combines fire resistance with accessibility for maintenance.
Why Certain FPSO Equipment Requires Passive Fire Protection
Not every piece of equipment on an FPSO requires the same level of fire protection. Instead, operators focus on critical assets whose failure during a fire could compromise safe shutdown or damage essential process systems.
Typical applications include:
- High-pressure knock-out (KO) drums
- Risers
- Emergency Shutdown Valves (ESDVs/RESDVs)
- Process vessels
- Heat exchangers
- Pipework and associated equipment
Depending on the facility’s fire risk assessment, these assets may be required to withstand hydrocarbon jet fire exposure for a specified duration to maintain their integrity during emergency response procedures.
Why Removable PFP Jackets Are Becoming the Preferred Solution
Conventional fireproofing methods can be difficult to apply on equipment with complex shapes or in congested offshore environments. Once installed, they may also make routine inspection and maintenance more challenging.
Removable Passive Fire Protection Jackets overcome many of these limitations.
Each jacket is engineered to match the equipment’s dimensions and operating conditions, allowing it to fit around valves, nozzles, supports, actuators and other irregular geometries. Because the jackets are removable, maintenance teams can access equipment for inspection before reinstalling the protection without extensive repair work.
Additional advantages include:
- Engineered to suit complex equipment geometries
- Faster installation compared with systems requiring curing
- Suitable for equipment requiring regular inspection
- Easy removal and reinstallation during maintenance
- Reduced offshore installation time through prefabrication
- Can combine passive fire protection and thermal insulation where required
Engineering Matters as Much as the Product
The effectiveness of a Passive Fire Protection Jacket depends not only on the materials used but also on accurate engineering and fabrication.
For offshore projects, obtaining reliable dimensional information is essential before fabrication begins. Where appropriate, digital survey methods such as 3D laser scanning may be used during the site survey to capture equipment geometry and identify any deviations from existing drawings. The resulting survey information supports detailed engineering and enables prefabrication, helping minimise on-site adjustments during installation.
Regardless of the survey method used, the objective remains the same: ensuring each jacket fits correctly while reducing offshore installation time and disruption to operations.
A Practical Example from an Offshore FPSO Project
One of KLAY EnerSol’s offshore projects involved supplying and installing Passive Fire Protection Jackets for a Malaysian FPSO facility. The scope included a large high-pressure knock-out drum, seven risers and seven Riser Emergency Shut Down Valves (RESDVs), all requiring protection against a 60-minute jet fire scenario as specified by the client.
The knock-out drum alone measured approximately 13.1 metres in length and 4.4 metres in diameter, requiring more than 200 custom-fabricated jacket sections to protect over 220 square metres of surface area. Despite tight project schedules and offshore access constraints, the installation was completed ahead of schedule with zero Lost Time Injury (LTI).
This project demonstrates how careful engineering, prefabrication and experienced offshore installation can simplify the implementation of Passive Fire Protection systems, even on large and complex equipment.
Choosing the Right Passive Fire Protection Partner
A successful PFP project requires more than supplying certified fire protection materials. It depends on engineering expertise, accurate fabrication, efficient project management and experienced offshore installation teams working together to minimise installation time while ensuring long-term performance.
KLAY EnerSol provides engineered Passive Fire Protection solutions for offshore platforms, FPSOs, refineries, petrochemical plants and other critical industrial facilities throughout Malaysia and Southeast Asia. From detailed engineering and fabrication to installation support, every solution is developed to meet the operational requirements of the application while supporting safe, reliable plant operation.
Conclusion
Passive Fire Protection Jackets have become an increasingly practical solution for protecting critical offshore equipment without sacrificing accessibility for inspection and maintenance. Their engineered, removable design makes them particularly suitable for FPSO facilities where safety, reliability and operational efficiency are equally important.
Whether protecting risers, emergency shutdown valves or large process vessels, a well-engineered PFP system helps operators improve asset integrity while supporting safer offshore operations.