Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSOs) are designed to operate in different climate environments and can easily adapt to any sudden harsh weather changes. FPSOs have components-topsides, turrets, flare towers, and riser porches, for example-not found on tankers. These create greater mass, higher centers of gravity, and large windage areas, all of which will alter vessel motion and response compared with a normal trading tanker.

These elements, combined with some of the new barge-shaped FPSO designs, introduce specific differences between tanker and FPSO design. Barge and novel-shaped designs may suffer undesirable motion characteristics leading to mechanical downtime, crew discomfort, green sea problems, and slamming.