Balltec delivers mooring equipment for Lancaster FPSO

June 1, 2018

Balltec has completed the manufacture, testing and delivery of twelve MoorLOK subsea mooring connectors for Bluewater Energy-owned Aoka Mizu FPSO.

According to Balltec’s statement on Friday, the connectors were designed in accordance with DNV_GL-OS-E302 July 2015 Offshore Standard for Offshore Mooring Chain and rated to 16,000 kN end of life minimum break load.

They will be used to moor Bluewater’s Aoka Mizu FPSO at Hurricane Energy’s Great Lancaster Area field in the North Sea.

Bluewater’s engineering/expediting team selected Balltec’s MoorLOK connector based on weight, size and track record. Balltec assisted Bluewater during the detailed design of the offshore installation aids and testing.

Balltec’s MoorLOK connectors incorporate its patented TripLOK locking system, which allows installation and utilization of the MoorLOK in any orientation.

Balltec noted that this makes it the ideal solution for Bluewater’s project where the connectors will be installed in the inverted position to connect the mooring lines to the dis-connectable turret buoy of the FPSO.

As part of the same project, Balltec has also provided three ROV Interface Panels which are to be installed on the Aoka Mizu’s dis-connectable buoy for ballasting/de-ballasting.

Assembly of the ROV Interface Panels on to the buoy is currently on-going with installation of the FPSO and MoorLOK connectors scheduled to take place during the summer of 2018.

It is worth mentioning that the newly-fabricated buoy, which forms a critical element of the turret mooring system for the Aoka Mizu FPSO, departed from Drydocks World in Dubai in mid-May, following successful testing, and final inspection.

Hurricane started the offshore installation phase of the Lancaster EPS development in May. Additional logistical work at the field also started in May ahead of the installation of the turret mooring system for the Aoka Mizu FPSO.

In addition, Hurricane said earlier on Friday that well completion operations for the Lancaster EPS have started under the control of Petrofac, which acts as the well operator.