13 Fall 2024 Proceedings worked with MSC officials and U.S. Embassy contacts in New Delhi to secure official travel and conduct quality management system oversight of the shipyard to verify worker conditions, welding standards, and inspection programs for international compliance. Inspection oversight included verification of approved welding procedures, welder qualifications, and quality management system implementation. From 2022 to 2023, two separate teams traveled to India and successfully completed oversight, demonstrating to MSC increased repair capacities and lessons learned for future contracts, which strengthened a vital partnership with an emerging global maritime power. While an inspec- tor’s regulatory knowledge is paramount, international relations and engagements have become a major corner- stone to unit operations in Asia and facilitating travel to new countries as contracts shift and commerce expands. While most inspections are scheduled, inspectors must always be ready to deploy in response to serious marine casualties and their subsequent investigations to determine casual factors. In December 2022, FEACT inspectors received an alarming call from a vessel cap- tain reporting a major machinery fire and fuel oil leak. The vessel was loaded with 2 million tons of explosives and tensions were high as inspectors briefed the chain of command. Fortunately, the fire was quickly extin- guished using the fixed-water suppression systems in the engine room and no crewmembers were hurt. Inspectors quickly deployed to southern Japan dur- ing the December holiday season to assist the U.S. Navy with investigations and determine the best path for- ward to address required repairs. Through joint efforts with marine inspectors, senior investigations officers, and engine mechanics, the team uncovered inadequate servicing of fuel pumps, which ultimately led to bolts loosening with vibrations and shearing off due to inter- nal pressures within the fuel pump casing. As the cas- ing opened, atomized fuel was sprayed directly onto the engine and ignited. The flames were 15 to 20 feet high and melted most of the surrounding electronics, primar- ily power and control cabling for the generators. Repairs took several months, with numerous trips by inspec- tors to verify conditions and oversee testing prior to the ship’s departure back to the United States for a major drydock to replace damaged equipment. As part of the investigation, machinery inspec- tions for the rest of the fleet were carried out to inspect fuel pump conditions and revised servicing instruc- tions were distributed to prevent future incidents. The repair of damages on board the ship, as well as follow- up actions to ensure holistic fleet safety, highlights the Coast Guard’s role in marine inspections and verifica- tion of robust safety management systems with adequate shoreside support. Given the expansive shipyards and massive drydocks in Asia, new FPU construction projects are normal for our inspectors. They routinely oversee multiyear FPU construction projects being built by Shell and Chevron in Singapore and South Korea. The value of these proj- ects is estimated in the billions and the shipyards have constructed custom cranes to handle them. The latest delivery for Shell included the first ultra- high pressure FPU with a production capacity of 75,000 barrels of oil a day, valued at $3 billion annually. The inspectors follow these construction projects from start to finish, working hand-in-hand with company manage- ment, and the Coast Guard District 8 Outer Continental Shelf division. Oversight typically includes steel hull construction, stability tests, integration of housing sys- tems and offshore energy systems, and final delivery. A usual FPU construction project may take several years, and numerous inspectors are involved throughout the phases, with long-term duty assignments to provide daily support as delivery approaches. These projects are all-encompassing and present professional opportuni- ties for the inspectors to develop working relationships with industry and classification society surveyors. One of the most labor-intensive areas of a cargo ship drydock is the internal inspection of its cargo tanks and holds which often total 1 million cubic feet or more. The sheer size and volume of the spaces present a unique conundrum. How does an inspector verify welds and structural supports throughout the space? Previously, these tanks were inspected by constructing scaffolding, which was costly and potentially dangerous for person- nel using them. The Vito FPU is shown in Singapore in 2021 before the semisubmersible was delivered to Shell in December of that year. The FPU, the company’s first deep water platform in the Gulf of Mexico to employ a simplified, costefficient host design, went into production in Spring 2023 with an estimated peak production of 100,000 barrels of oil per day. Coast Guard photo by Mike Smith
