FPSO newbuild sets course from Singapore to Australia

A floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit operated by Norway’s BW Offshore has left Seatrium’s yard in Singapore and is headed to work off the coast of Australia’s Northern Territory.

Fully commissioned and ready for offshore deployment, the BW Opal left Seatrium’s Tuas Boulevard Yard and was guided out of the bay on the morning of May 28. After that, it was handed over to the tugs that will transport it to its new palace of work–Australia’s Barossa field.

According to BW Offshore, hook-up operations are set to start as soon as the vessel arrives at the destination. This will be followed by the start-up phase, which includes offshore commissioning, well clean-up, and preparation for gas export, targeted for Q3 2025. 

Designed for a 25-year offshore lifespan, the BW Opal is said to be the result of years of engineering and global collaboration. With a hull length of 358 meters and a width of 64 meters, the vessel boasts 230 MW of installed power and gas processing facilities of 850 million standard cubic feet per day, as well as the capacity to process 11,000 barrels per day of stabilized condensate.

According to Seatrium, the FPSO will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15% compared to traditional systems, translating to a reduction of up to 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the asset’s life.

The vessel was named on February 15, three months after the operator announced that the FPSO construction project was facing cost overruns.

Ahead of sail-away, the asset was visited by BW Offshore’s management, as well as the families of employees who participated in the vessel’s construction.

In addition to thanking everyone who participated in the project, BW Offshore pointed out that Seatrium’s dedication was key in preparing BW Opal for a safe departure.

Marlin Khiew, Seatrium’s Executive Vice President, Energy (Americas), noted: “We would like to express our appreciation to BW Offshore for entrusting Seatrium with their projects over the years. The successful completion of BW Opal is a testament of our strong teamwork, project management and experience, reinforcing Seatrium’s standing as the world leader in the conversion, modification and completion of FPSOs.

“Our reliability and expertise in executing FPSO projects allow us to continue to win the trust and confidence of our customers. The successful delivery also marks our 18th FPSO for BW Offshore, building on the strong partnership that we have forged over decades of collaboration.”

The Barossa project, where the vessel will work, encompasses gas and condensate production from six subsea wells, which will be processed at FPSO BW Opal. Condensate will be exported via tankers, and natural gas transported via the Gas Export Pipeline (GEP) to Darwin LNG, which will be tied into the existing Bayu-Undan pipeline.

Natural gas and condensate are set to be extracted from the Barossa field, located approximately 285 kilometers offshore north-northwest of Darwin. Greenlit in 2021, the project is a joint venture between Santos (50%), SK E&S (32.5%), and JERA (12.5%).

Santos received authorization from Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to proceed with the project in late April.