Belanak hull ready for tow to quayside

Aug. 14, 2003
Dalian New Ship Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (DNS), of Dalian, China, christened the completed 175,000-ton hull for the largest and most complex FPSO ever built in China.

Dalian New Ship Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (DNS), of Dalian, China, christened the completed 175,000-ton hull for the largest and most complex FPSO ever built in China.

When completed, theBelanak FPSO will process gas, oil, and condensate produced from multiple fields in the eastern portion of the ConocoPhillips-operated South Natuna Sea block B production sharing contract offshore Indonesia. The Belanak FPSO incorporates a plant to extract liquefield petroleum gas (propane and butane) from the gas.

PT Brown & Root Indonesia and Halliburton subsidiary Dresser Kellogg Energy Services are in charge of the design, procurement, construction, and installation of the FPSO. Kellogg Brown & Root subcontracted construction of the hull, the module housing all the electrical systems for the hull, and living quarters to DNS.

"This is the first time that either ConocoPhillips or Halliburton has built an FPSO in China," said Paul Warwick, president and general manager of ConocoPhillips Indonesia. "The Belanak hull is also the first ever FPSO hull of such size and complexity to be built in China. ConocoPhillips, and DKES have worked as a team with Dalian New Ship throughout the construction period. This relationship has proved successful with performance in line with the high standards of safety and quality that were set at the start of the project."

The Belanak FPSO hull &ndahs; measuring 258 m long, 58 m wide, and 26 m in depth – has a maximum displacement of 255,000 metric tons. It is designed to remain in service for 30 years without the need for dry-docking, and all mechanical equipment has been specified to last for that period with only routine offshore maintenance.

Construction of the hull began in March 2002 and was completed in 18 months. Two ocean-going tugs will tow the hull from Dalian, China, to Batam, Indonesia. On arrival in Batam, the hull will berth at a new quayside built by PT McDermott Indonesia to accommodate lifting the 25,000 tons of processing modules onto the hull and for hookup and commissioning activities. The completed FPSO will be towed to its installation site at the Belanak field in the South Natuna Sea, Indonesia, in preparation for first oil in 4Q 2004.

The Belanak field development project forms the cornerstone for the supply of South Natuna Sea block B gas to Malaysia and Singapore and the accelerated development of extensive liquid reserves by BP Migas, the government agency responsible for Indonesia's upstream oil and gas business, Conoco Phillips, and co-ventures Inpex Natuna Ltd. and Texaco South Natuna Sea Inc.

08/14/03