BW Offshore formally names newest FPSO

BW Offshore has formally named BW Opal, its newest floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO).

The vessel is under construction at Seatrium's facilities in Singapore. BW Offshore expects its first gas production to occur before the end of this year.

The FPSO will be operated under a lease and operate contract worth approximately US$4.6 billion. The contract has a firm period of 15 years plus up to 10 years' worth of options.

Upon completion, BW Opal will have a hull length of 358 metres, a beam of 64 metres, and a gas handling capacity of 850 million standard cubic feet (24 million cubic metres) per day and a design capacity of 11,000 barrels per day of stabilised condensate.

The unit will be turret moored, with a hull built using BW Offshore's proprietary design engineered to support advanced topsides, which weigh in at 45,000 tonnes each.

BW Offshore said the FPSO will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent compared to traditional systems. This translates to a reduction of up to 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over the life of the asset.

Additionally, a combined-cycle gas turbine system with waste heat recovery will lower energy consumption by up to 66 per cent compared to industry standards, helping to maximise both economic and environmental performance.