05/09/2025
Australian Offshore Solutions - Scarborough Floating Production Platform
AOS tow masters, Captains Glenn Frewin and Drew Meincke, working directly with McDermott Offshore, have complete the successful floatover (Float-under) of the Woodside, Scarborough Floating Production Platform (FPU) in the northern Yellow Sea, China.
The FPU hull and topside were built in separate yards in China, the topside being fabricated in Qingdao and the Hull just north of Shanghai.
The Hull departed Shanghai and proceeded down the Yangtze River under tow by the AHT “Hua Da” (ex Toisa Elan). The tow proceeded out into the Yellow Sea where the Hull then underwent ballasting and system trials before being ballasted down to a 14.5m draft, ready for the 450nm tow north to the floatover location.
The Hai Yang Shi You 691 and the Lian He Qi Hua (ex-Normand Master), along with the Hau Da, were all connected to the hull for a 3-vessel tow north. With all 3 tugs towing, an average speed of 3.6kts was achieved.
The top side departed from Qingdao on the 229 barge and was towed by the Hai Yang Shi You 681, 247nm to the floatover location and was mooring up utilising an 8-point mooring system.
When the hull arrived on location, all tugs reconfigured their tow lines by connecting to the 4 corners of the hull. The hull was ballasted down to a 46m draft, leaving only around 10m remaining out of the water.
As the hull was towed towards the topside barge, the 2 tugs on the stern were both connected to preset mooring buoys and they paid out on their tow wires to ensure precise movement of the hull when docking, as only a 500mm tolerance was available each side of the hull.
The ballasting operation took 15 hours to complete the full transition of the topside from the barge to the hull. Once the topside was 2m clear of the barge supports, the hull was manoeuvred clear.
After a further 24 hours of de-ballasting, the FPU was brought back up to a 14.5m draft. The 3 tugs were again reconfigured to a towing arrangement.
The tow then proceeded 85nm to the port of Yantai in the north Yellow Sea. She was met by 8 harbour tugs and towed into port and secured alongside the Raffles shipyard wharf.
The FPU will now spend the next 5 months alongside undergoing final commissioning works before being made ready to be towed 3962nm by 4 ocean going tugs from Yantai to the Scarborough field to the north of Exmouth, NW Australia. The tow is anticipated to take around 45 days.
