Boskalis-subsidiary Dockwise loaded the first ship-shaped floating, production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) onto the largest semisubmersible heavy transport vessel in the world.
The Armada Intrepid FPSO was loaded onto the Dockwise Vanguard in the Caland canal, Port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The Armada Intrepid FPSO weighs about 60,000-tonne (42,000-tonne plus ballast) making it one of the heaviest cargos ever transported. With a length of 245m, the cargo will be the longest transported on the Vanguard to date. Additional expertise from within the Boskalis group is being deployed on this project, including support from SMIT Towage Northwest Europe during the arrival of the Vanguard and during the loading operation.
"Transporting this ship-shaped FPSO on board of the Dockwise Vanguard demonstrates that this is a better, faster, more safe and efficient solution to transport FPSOs from one side of the world to another, be it for refitting or new builds," says Hans Leerdam, category manager of strategic vessels at the offshore energy division of Boskalis. "The alternative to this method of transport would be towing the FPSO using two tugs, which takes longer."
The Dockwise Vanguard is capable of transporting fully-integrated offshore structures and units, including FPSOs due to its load capacity in excess of 110,000-tonne. It can accommodate an open-end, free-deck space of 275m by 70m. The absence of a raised bow and conventional forward superstructure means that cargo overhang, either forward or aft, is possible. The vessel first entered service in February 2013. Besides various exploration and production rigs, the Dockwise Vanguard recently successfully delivered the ENI Goliat cylindrical FPSO for Eni.
The Armada Intrepid used to be the Schiehallion FPSO, stationed west of Shetland for BP until 2014, when it was taken off field because BP is building a new vessel to replace it as part of its Quad 204 redevelopment.
Photo courtesy of Hans Elbers, www.fotovlieger.nl
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