Page 59: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2015)

FPSO and other mammoth offshore Floating Production Systems, courtesy of Dockwise, are

Hitchin’ a RideHitchin’ a Ride hen the Dockwise Vanguard was category manager – strategic vessels, Offshore Energy via the Dockwise Vanguard’s stern, carefully slotting conceived, Dockwise, part of the Division of Boskalis. “We have just complete transport- between the two aft casings, with just 2.5-3m leeway

Boskalis Group, had a vision for ing the heaviest cargo (Goliat), and now the Armada either side.

a new market - transporting the Intrepid, the ? rst ship-shaped cargo. Next, we will be Removing one of the aft casings could have been an world’s largest cargoes, including getting ready for Moho Nord FPU. To have these three option, like we will do to load the Moho Nord FPU, W

FPSOs (floating production storage and offloading contracts in a row shows why we brought the Dockwise but, due to the time and cost to do this, and the ability vessels). Vanguard to the market.” to take the Armada Intrepid through the stern in this

It hasn’t taken the vessel, the largest heavy transport case, the team went for the latter option, saysTaco Terp- vessel in the world, long to prove its worth, as well as Safe Loading stra, senior project manager for the Armada Intrepid, the feasibility of such a feat. The vessel has currently The Armada Intrepid, previously known as the Schie- Boskalis. This loading con? guration meant more han- transported its ? rst ship-shaped FPSO cargo, Bumi hallion FPSO while it was working for BP, west of the dling (tugger and tow lines) was required compared to

Armada’s Armada Intrepid, to South East Asia which Shetland Islands, was safely and successfully loaded on normal jobs, due to the careful maneuvering required. also happens to be one of the three largest cargoes ever to the Dockwise Vanguard in Rotterdam’s Caland Ca- Getting the water depth and tidal window right it key, transported. It is a ground-breaking job for a vessel nal on May 8, just eight days after the heavy transport making loading location and timing crucial.

which had only just completed the transportation of vessel’s arrival in port. The job, loading and transport- “We had to wait for the right high-tide and the right

ENI Norge’s 107m-diameter, 64,000-tonne, Goliat ing the Armada Intrepid, posed the Dockwise project environmental conditions,” says Terpstra. “The wind

Sevan-design cylindrical ? oating production and stor- team some interesting and unique challenges, due to the needed to be less than 15 knots, or Beaufort scale 4. age unit from Hyundai Heavy Industry’s yard in South dimensions of the cargo. Terpstra says: “The con? gura- Crucially, the water depth needs to be suf? cient for

Korea to Hammerfest in Norway. tion of the loading marks this out from other projects. long enough.”

What’s more, the 110,000-ton capacity Dockwise At ? rst sight, it looks like a normal transport, but what’s In Rotterdam, the tide ebbs and ? ows every 12 hours,

Vanguard’s next major job will be yet again bigger in quite novel is that it was the ? rst ship-shaped FPSO we with high-tide, at this time of year, providing water size and weight - Total’s 85,000-ton, 250m-long, 60m- are transporting on the Dockwise Vanguard. Weighing deep enough – at 24m - for 5-5.5 hours to carry out the wide Moho Nord ? oating production unit (FPU), which 60,000-tonne (42,000-tonne plus ballast), it is among operation. will be transported from Hyundai Heavy Industry’s the top three heaviest cargoes ever transported. That, On May 8, the right weather window was identi? ed yard in Ulsan, South Korea, to West Africa early 2016. in combination with its ship-shape, with a 245m-long, and the action started early in the morning. The Armada

All three projects are noteworthy achievements, but 45m-beam hull, makes the this project quite interest- Intrepid was taken from its dry dock by four tugs to the transporting the FPSO is the biggest, proving the ship- ing.” Caland Canal and, by 11am, it was in position, ready shaped FPSO transport concept. Being able to transport Unlike normal loads, which are positioned on the for the high tide.

FPSOs using a heavy transport vessel offers FPSO op- Dockwise Vanguard’s 275m x 70m deck by ballasting The pressure was on. The team had a big job on their erators and owners a faster and safer alternative to the the vessel beneath the water line and ? oating the load hands and some 1000 spectators as well as local and current industry norm - slower wet tows using tugs. across its beam, the Armada Intrepid, which is too long national media watching. But, they also had ideal con- “This is opening a new market,” says Hans Leerdam, to ? oat across the beam, had to be ? oated over the deck ditions – sunny weather and little wind.

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