Decision-Making Approach to Support the Selection of Remotely Operated Inspection Methods of FPSO Tanks

Abstract The inspection of structural members within the cargo or ballast tanks of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) platforms is usually carried out in accordance with the requirements of classification society rules. Traditionally, these inspections are conducted by operators who need to access the interior of the tank to inspect points considered critical for the development of degradation processes. Based on the level of degradation, the ship’s owners can evaluate the structural strength and determine the need for maintenance. However, in addition to being time-consuming, inspections carried out by human operators can pose a risk to human life. With the aim of reducing human exposure to risk, remotely operated inspection methods are being considered for their potential application in structural inspections. In this context, this paper presents an approach to support the selection of remotely operated inspection methods for FPSO cargo and ballast tanks. A literature review identified the main remotely operated resources used to assess the structural elements and their different analysis techniques. Then, a multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) was applied to select the most suitable remotely operated tank inspection method considering criteria that were aligned with the operational context of the organization and performance evaluation of the alternatives supported by expert elicitation.