Chinese Semi-Submersible Vessel Huaruilong Sets Sail for Guinea

A major maritime transport operation is underway as the semi-submersible vessel Huaruilong, one of the world's largest heavy-lift ships, departs from Ningde Port in Fujian Province, China. The vessel is transporting 13 engineering ships to Guinea, where they will support port construction and offshore infrastructure projects.

With an impressive carrying capacity of 80,000 metric tons, Huaruilong measures 252 meters in length, 60 meters in width, and 14.8 meters in height. It is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 15 knots (approximately 27.78 km/h) and can perform salvage operations with loads of up to 100,000 metric tons.

The shipment to Guinea includes a diverse fleet of engineering vessels valued at approximately 250 million yuan ($34.3 million). The cargo consists of one supply ship, six tugboats, and six flat-top barges, all of which will play a key role in large-scale civil engineering and maritime operations in the region.

Semi-submersible vessels like Huaruilong are specifically designed to transport oversized maritime equipment and offshore structures over long distances. Unlike conventional cargo ships, these vessels can submerge their decks to allow ships and equipment to be floated on before resurfacing.

During the loading process, Huaruilong lowered its deck more than 20 meters beneath the waterline to accommodate the engineering vessels. The ships were arranged in a way that maximized deck space, resembling a carefully stacked structure. Maritime authorities 

Ningde Port has played a crucial role in exporting vessels to international markets, particularly to nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. According to the Ningde Immigration Inspection Station, more than 30 vessels have been exported from the port this year, with over 80% of them destined for countries such as Guinea and Liberia.

The successful deployment of Huaruilong for this mission underscores China's growing role in providing maritime transport solutions for large-scale infrastructure projects worldwide.

Source: Cosco Shipping

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Posted on 3/09/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

Boka Vanguard Expands Transport Capacity Following Major Refit in China

Semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel undergoes widening project to accommodate larger floating drydocks, ships, and FPSOs

Source: Boskalis

The semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel Boka Vanguard, operated by Boskalis, has completed a major modification at a dry dock in Zhoushan, China. The refit involved expanding the vessel’s width to enhance its transport capabilities for oversized floating drydocks, ships, and FPSOs. The vessel, already recognized as the largest of its kind before the upgrade, can now accommodate even wider cargo.

Structural Modifications to Increase Capacity

Originally 70 meters wide, the Boka Vanguard has been widened by 10.3 meters, bringing its total beam to over 75 meters. The modification was carried out by Boskalis' Heavy Marine Transport division and involved shifting the port-side towers, or outriggers, further outward. This complex engineering task is comparable to relocating a three-story building.

The increased deck space has already proven essential, as the vessel has since transported a floating drydock that would have previously been too wide to carry. Later this year, the Boka Vanguard is scheduled to transport another floating drydock measuring 335 meters in length and 75 meters in width—cargo dimensions that were previously beyond the vessel’s capacity.

Retaining Length, Enhancing Transport Versatility

While the vessel’s width has been expanded, its overall length remains unchanged at 275 meters. The Boka Vanguard features an open stern and a deck without a bow structure, allowing it to transport cargo larger than itself. A notable example of this capability was in 2019 when the vessel transported the 300-meter-long cruise ship Carnival Vista.

Posted on 3/08/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

CNOOC Makes Major Oil and Gas Discovery

 CNOOC Ltd, a major player in China’s offshore energy sector, has recently marked an important breakthrough in exploring Paleozoic-era buried hills in the Beibu Gulf basin of the South China Sea. In its Weizhou 10-5 prospect—situated in relatively shallow waters at 37 metres deep—the company encountered promising geological indicators.

During drilling at the WZ10-5-1Sa well, which reached approximately 4840 metres in depth, a substantial 283-metre section was found to contain oil and gas reserves. Early tests reported production rates of about 13.2 million cubic feet of natural gas and roughly 800 barrels of crude oil per day, underscoring a significant advancement for the area’s natural gas prospects.

Xu Changgui, the chief geologist at CNOOC, highlighted that this discovery not only opens up extensive potential within the Beibu Gulf basin but also provides valuable insights for similar offshore projects in China. Meanwhile, chief executive Zhou Xinhuai reiterated the company’s commitment to expanding its resource portfolio, noting that recent years have seen several notable oil and gas finds across various offshore buried hill formations.

Posted on 3/07/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

SBM Offshore Secures Fifth FPSO Deal for Exxon’s Guyana Expansion

 SBM Offshore has been awarded a major FPSO contract to deliver the FPSO ONE GUYANA, which will serve ExxonMobil’s Uaru field development in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

This is SBM’s fifth FPSO project in Guyana, and the unit will be one of its largest-ever. Designed with a production capacity of 250,000 barrels per day and storage for 2 million barrels, it will play a key role in Exxon’s aggressive development program targeting over 1.3 million barrels per day from Guyana by 2027.

Construction will follow SBM’s Fast4Ward® design philosophy, with a standardized hull already under construction in China. Topsides fabrication and integration will take place in Singapore, ensuring delivery by 2026.

This project highlights Guyana’s emergence as one of the world’s most profitable offshore basins, and SBM’s ability to deliver complex deepwater assets efficiently.

Posted on 3/07/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

Petrobras Expands Offshore Fleet Orders to Support Brazil’s Pre-Salt Growth

Petrobras has expanded its shipbuilding program, increasing its new vessel orders to 48 units by 2026, as the company prepares for a sharp rise in offshore production from Brazil’s pre-salt fields.

The orders cover a wide mix of vessels, including:

• Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) to support deepwater rigs.
• Coastal product tankers to move crude and refined products between domestic terminals.
• Gas carriers to service growing LNG exports and coastal gas deliveries.

Petrobras’ Buzios field, the company’s crown jewel in the pre-salt, is set to host at least six new FPSOs by 2030, pushing daily production at the field to over 2 million barrels per day. This growing offshore footprint demands a robust, locally-supported supply chain, including a dedicated fleet of support and shuttle vessels.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has also linked the expansion of Petrobras’ fleet to his broader industrial policy, aiming to revitalize Brazilian shipyards and create thousands of jobs.

Posted on 3/07/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

Medco Energi’s New Oil Find Strengthens Indonesia’s Production Outlook

 Medco Energi, Indonesia’s leading independent energy company, has announced a significant oil discovery after completing drilling at its Senoro-3 wildcat well in the Senoro-Toili Block offshore Sulawesi.

The well encountered high-quality oil-bearing sands in an underexplored reservoir horizon, producing higher-than-expected flow rates during initial testing. This discovery is particularly important as Indonesia struggles to reverse its declining crude output, which has fallen steadily since peaking in the 1990s.

The new discovery sits within tie-back range of Medco’s existing Senoro gas infrastructure, which was originally developed for LNG exports. While Senoro is best known for its gas reserves, this oil find enhances the field’s value, enabling dual production streams.

Medco has already begun fast-track development planning, aiming to bring first oil online by late 2026. The discovery could also de-risk nearby exploration prospects, supporting future drilling campaigns in the block.

Posted on 3/06/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

New Fortress’ Floating LNG Plant Outperforms Expectations in Early Operations

 

(Photo Source: newfortressenergy.com)

New Fortress Energy has confirmed that its pioneering Fast LNG 1 facility, a modular floating liquefaction plant installed off Louisiana, is already producing above its design capacity in early operations.

Mounted on a converted jack-up rig, Fast LNG 1 is the first in a series of modular offshore LNG units designed to provide flexible export capacity for smaller stranded gas fields and existing pipelines. This flexibility reduces capital costs compared to traditional onshore LNG plants, allowing faster payback.

The first cargoes from Fast LNG 1 have already been shipped to Europe and Asia, where demand for flexible spot LNG remains strong. The success of this unit strengthens New Fortress’ position as a disruptor in the LNG supply chain, with Fast LNG 2 and 3 expected to follow later this year.

Posted on 3/06/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

TotalEnergies Completes Key Milestone with Taiwan Offshore Wind Farm

 TotalEnergies has officially completed the Hai Long Offshore Wind Project, a 1.2 GW development off the coast of Taiwan, solidifying its position as a major player in Asia’s renewable energy transition.

The project, developed in partnership with Yushan Energy, combines fixed-bottom turbines and a floating demonstration platform, making it one of the most technologically diverse offshore wind farms in the region.

Despite challenging seabed conditions and typhoon risks, TotalEnergies applied its offshore engineering expertise — developed from decades of FPSO and deepwater oil projects — to successfully install all turbines on schedule.

The wind farm is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power 600,000 households, contributing directly to Taiwan’s goal of phasing out coal power by 2035.

Posted on 3/06/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

NYK Signs Historic Deal for Heavy Cargo Ships at Chinese Shipyard

(Photo Source: nbpc.co.jp)

 Japanese shipping major NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers has signed a landmark contract with China’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. for up to four new 33,000 dwt deck carriers. This marks the first time NYK Bulk has ordered vessels directly from Dalian Shipbuilding.

The vessels are purpose-built for transporting large, heavy, and oversized cargo, such as offshore wind farm components and industrial plant modules — aligning with growing demand for project cargo capacity driven by the global energy transition.

The ships will be dual-fuel ready, capable of running on methanol or ammonia, in line with NYK Group’s decarbonization roadmap. First delivery is expected in early 2027, with optional vessels delivering through 2028 if exercised.

By choosing Dalian, NYK Bulk gains competitive pricing and faster delivery, though the deal underscores Japan’s growing dependence on Chinese shipbuilding capacity, even as the Japanese government tries to revive its own shipyard sector.

Posted on 3/06/2025 / 0 comments / Read More

Trump Prepares Bold Action to Rebuild US Shipyards and Counter China

The Trump administration is preparing to issue a sweeping executive order designed to rebuild the United States’ struggling shipbuilding sector, with a focus on countering China’s near-monopoly in global ship production. The order, which could be signed as early as next week, outlines several major policy changes targeting both military and commercial shipbuilding.

Under the plan, Chinese-built vessels calling at U.S. ports would face new fees, especially those operating in domestic shipping trades governed by the Jones Act. Furthermore, port cranes and cargo handling equipment sourced from Chinese manufacturers would also be subject to tariffs and operational surcharges.

To encourage domestic shipbuilding, the order creates a White House Office of Shipbuilding, which will act as a central policy hub to coordinate between the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and commercial shipowners. This office will also oversee new subsidies, tax credits, and direct investment programs aimed at modernizing outdated shipyards and attracting new orders.

The plan establishes a Maritime Security Trust Fund, which will channel federal funding into U.S. yards to enhance construction capabilities for both commercial vessels (like container ships and LNG carriers) and naval auxiliary vessels. This initiative fits into Trump’s broader America First industrial strategy, directly tying maritime security to economic policy.

Industry reactions have been mixed — U.S. yards and unions welcomed the support, while importers worry about higher shipping costs if fewer lower-cost Chinese ships are allowed into U.S. trades.

Posted on 3/06/2025 / 0 comments / Read More