Eni's Goliat cyclindrical floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) platform, built in South Korea and now destined for the Barents Sea, has finally been loaded ready for transport to Norway.
The 107m-diameter Goliat platform, which will produce the first oil from the Barents Sea, in what will be the world's northern-most offshore oil field, has been loaded on to the Dockwise Vanguard - the largest marine transport vessel in the world.
It will then transport the FPSO around the southern tip of Africa, before heading to Hammerfest, Norway, on a journey expected to take around 60 days.
Tie-in operations and preparations for production, in field, will take place during the summer, with first oil scheduled for the middle of 2015.
Delivery of the FPSO had been due in 2014, but in May last year, Eni said that conditions to depart at the end of June 2014, and complete commissioning in Norway in Q4 2014, were not in place.
Production start-up was originally scheduled for Q4 2013, but the date was delayed in 2012, due to challenges and increased complexity, on the production platform.
The plan for development and operation for Goliat was submitted in 2009. Project cost estimates were, as at May 2014, at NOK 45 billion.
Eni is operator and has 65% interest in Goliat, with Statoil owning the remaining 35%. Goliat is planned to produce 170 MMbbl during a 15-year production life.
The platform was designed by Norway's Sevan Marine in Arendal and built at Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The platform will be supplied with electrical power from the mainland using the longest submarine cable of its type in the world.
Facts about the Goliat FPSO:
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