Petrobras inked a charter contract for the Cargo Transfer Vessel (CTV) SeaLoader 2, a ship owned by Sealoading Holding A/S (a business unit of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., MOL group). The vessel has been operating for Petrobras since 2022 and performed over 30 operations to test the ability to eliminate the need of DP shuttle tankers on tanker offloading operations (a.k.a. tanker lifting).
The sister ship Sealoader 1 has been operating for TotalEnergies in the field of Lapa.
The concept of eliminating the DP shuttle tankers could generate positive impact on emissions reduction while eliminating ship-to-ship (sts) transfers. Expectations are of 60% reduction on coastal cargoes while up to 80% reduction could be generated in operations where DP shuttle tankers have to cruise all the way to Uruguai or Argentina. Yes, it happens.
The spread moored FPSO tanker liftings are performed with DP shuttle tankers with a bow loading system and a load capacity of 1.0 million barrels (approximately).
However, the CTV concept raises questions, as the constant use of TS (tugs astern of the conventional tanker) which are also required on direct FPSO / tanker conventional mooring, the considerable emissions while the CTV in operation (on DP) and in transit from and to location, the inability for direct mooring of the conventional tanker to the FPSO and the cost of building reflected on the charter rate, fuel consumption port utilization and others.
WSB Advisors in cooperation with COPPE / UFRJLaboratório de Ondas e Correntes – LOC – PENO/COPPE/UFRJ, based on a concept of WSB’s Mooring and Unloading leader Jairo Araujo, has conceived and presented (in Offshore Technology Conference (OTC)) a project with a alternative solutions.
“WSB’s proposal is based on the study of new methods and procedures as well as other alternatives that aim to use conventional ships (without DP) of the Suezmax size (or even VLCCs). It also analyzes the possibility of using conventional ships from the reevaluation of the study that directed the use of DP ships at Petrobras. It also verifies the possibility of using monobuoys, technology already established in the market and widely used in West Africa and which uses a series of safety systems. The great advantage of the monobuoy is that it allows the mooring of occasional ships up to the size of VLCC and do not generate atmospheric emissions and other impacts”, says Jairo.
The WSB study is just as good if applied in recent acquisitions such as PRIO Albacora Leste, 3R Petroleum Papa-Terra, Enauta Atlanta and HR Karoon Brasil Bauna.