Ah, the tech companies do love their FPSOs. They toss them into oil and gas projects like sweets at a carnival—one-size-fits-all solutions to ailments both real and imagined. Even the bankers clap along, because what was once CAPEX—long, painful pilgrimages to justify big money with tortured business cases—can be alchemized into OPEX, diluted neatly into the operating ledger. At least until Final Investment Decision.
Then comes reality. Once operations begin, that “easy” solution returns like a debt collector with a crowbar. Costs gnaw at revenues with the appetite of an obese clown demolishing the children’s buffet. Because FPSOs are not cheap. What was once spread comfortably across solid ground must now be crammed onto a rolling deck. Where logistics once enjoyed breathing space, now the tiniest inconsistency jams the pipeline, ships queuing like lost cattle with nowhere to dock.And safety? Best not to dwell on it. A floating factory is no place to discover just how thin the margin really is.