https://www.upstreamonline.com/weekly/western-isles-fpso-set-for-european-journey/1-1-1214059
Long-delayed and over-budget unit to undergo testing off China and then sail en route to a final location off UK’s Shetland Islands
China Steps Up Game With 1st ‘Floating Oil Factory’
By Alex Kimani – Jun 16, 2023,
China has delivered its first smart floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) with a land-sea integrated operation system, marking a breakthrough in the country’s application of digital twin technology. The offshore oil and gas FPSO with a storage capacity of 100,000 tons is the first of its kind in China and employs diverse cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), edge computing, cloud computing, big data, and the internet of things (IoT). The ship can process oil and gas on the sea thus eliminating the need for piping from offshore rigs to onshore factories.
https://www.cfr.org/timeline/oil-dependence-and-us-foreign-policy
The United States’ dependence on oil has long influenced its foreign policy. U.S. oil development spans three major periods: the rise of oil as a commodity, beginning in 1850; the post–World War II age of geopolitical competition; and the post–Cold War era of deregulation and diversification. Most recently, Russia’s war with Ukraine has aggravated geopolitical tensions and revived the debate about U.S. energy independence.
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