THE old oil-storage ship that blew up off the coast of Nigeria recently is one of many vessels with similar stories across the globe, reports Bloomberg News.
The Trinity Spirit is still partially floating above the surface and was first launched 46 years ago when US President Gerald Ford held office.
There are over 30 others still in operation that were originally constructed before 1977.
Vessels like Trinity Spirit generally begin as oil tankers before surpassing the end of their lives as transporters.
'It is a challenge for FPSOs in the late stage of their lifetime, especially when there has not been sufficient maintenance and necessary upgrade, as corrosion develops and equipment condition gets worse, and system integrity is a headache,' said Rystad Energy analyst Zhenying Wu.
The ships need to withstand harsh environmental conditions and extreme weather.
Though most are looked after, their need for maintenance increases with age.
The American Bureau of Shipping raised the need to address safety issues, with over 50 of them reaching the end of their design life in the next five years.
More than half are over 30 years old and a quarter over 40 years old.
A conversion overhaul adds 20 years to the lifespan of a ship, according to Venediktos Roussos of Polygreen.
SeaNews Turkey
The Trinity Spirit is still partially floating above the surface and was first launched 46 years ago when US President Gerald Ford held office.
There are over 30 others still in operation that were originally constructed before 1977.
Vessels like Trinity Spirit generally begin as oil tankers before surpassing the end of their lives as transporters.
'It is a challenge for FPSOs in the late stage of their lifetime, especially when there has not been sufficient maintenance and necessary upgrade, as corrosion develops and equipment condition gets worse, and system integrity is a headache,' said Rystad Energy analyst Zhenying Wu.
The ships need to withstand harsh environmental conditions and extreme weather.
Though most are looked after, their need for maintenance increases with age.
The American Bureau of Shipping raised the need to address safety issues, with over 50 of them reaching the end of their design life in the next five years.
More than half are over 30 years old and a quarter over 40 years old.
A conversion overhaul adds 20 years to the lifespan of a ship, according to Venediktos Roussos of Polygreen.
SeaNews Turkey
