Abstract

Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units play a critical role in offshore oil and gas production, operating in challenging and hazardous environments where safety is paramount. Emergency Shutdown (ESD) and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) are essential to preventing accidents and mitigating risks; however, traditional implementations often operate as isolated systems, leading to potential vulnerabilities such as single points of failure and delayed responses. This presents an integrated control architecture framework designed to enhance the redundancy, reliability, and overall safety performance of ESD and safety systems in FPSO operations. The proposed framework consolidates ESD and SIS components into a unified, multilayered control system architecture encompassing sensing, control logic, communication, and actuation layers. Key features include diverse hardware and software redundancy mechanisms, fault-tolerant communication protocols, real-time diagnostics, and failover capabilities that collectively reduce the risk of system failure during emergency conditions. Cybersecurity measures are also integrated to protect against evolving digital threats, ensuring robust and secure operations. A case study applying the framework to a representative FPSO platform demonstrates significant improvements in system response times, fault tolerance, and safety integrity levels compared to conventional, non-integrated systems. Simulation results highlight the framework’s ability to maintain operational continuity by minimizing false trips and preventing missed shutdowns, thereby reducing unplanned downtime and associated economic losses. This research underscores the strategic importance of integrated control architectures for offshore safety systems, advocating for industry adoption to enhance operational resilience. Future work will focus on leveraging digital twin technologies and artificial intelligence to further optimize predictive maintenance and autonomous safety responses. The findings offer a comprehensive foundation for developing next-generation safety control systems that meet stringent regulatory requirements while addressing the complexities of modern FPSO operations.