A journey of 10,000 miles: Singaporean player sheds light on massive FPSO tow

Singapore’s offshore marine solutions company, PACC Offshore Services Holdings (POSH), has provided insight into its recently completed transoceanic tow of a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) to Angola. 

Operated by Yinson Production, FPSO Agogo will be deployed at Block 15/06 offshore Angola. Working for Azule Energy at the Agogo Integrated West Hub project, the unit is set to contribute to unlocking the potential of the Agogo and Ndungu fields. 

Azule expects the start of production at the hub in the second half of 2025, with a ramp-up reaching 175,000 bpd.

The FPSO started its journey from the Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry shipyard in China a little over two months ago. In early May, it made a brief stop in Namibia as part of the planned logistics to replenish supplies and facilitate crew change. On May 16, the unit reached its destination in Angola.

According to POSH, its high-performance anchor handling towing vessels (AHTs) – POSH Eagle, POSH Hawk, and POSH Osprey – were instrumental in relocating the vessel. Measuring approximately 330 metres in length and weighing over 300,000 metric tonnes, the massive unit was towed for more than 10,000 nautical miles from China to Angola.

With a production capacity of 120,000 barrels of oil per day, the vessel is equipped with carbon-reduction technologies, including what is said to be the industry’s first pilot post-combustion carbon capture system on an FPSO.

The AHTs navigated challenging sea and weather conditions in convoy to deliver the FPSO to its final destination. POSH sees the extensive voyage as underscoring the strength, endurance, and reliability of its ocean towing fleet. 

“This milestone demonstrates our proven expertise in managing complex, long-haul towing operations across different regions,” said Eric Ng, Head of Offshore Projects, POSH. “With our well-equipped vessels and experienced crew, we consistently provide our clients with robust and dependable offshore logistics solutions.”

POSH’s fleet continued to provide station-keeping services to ensure the FPSO maintains its precise position and heading. Additionally, all three AHTs will remain on standby, ready to provide dynamic positioning assistance and contingency towing if required. This phase is described as crucial for the FPSO’s integration into the field’s production infrastructure.