VESSEL REVIEW | PTSC LDV – Purpose-built, dual-fuel FSO with 20,000-barrel daily processing capacity
Singapore-based engineering specialist the OceanStar Elite Group recently handed over a new floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) to PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PTSC).
PTSC LDV will be chartered, operated and maintained under a 10-year firm contract by PTSC Asia Pacific, a joint venture between Malaysia’s Yinson Production (49 per cent) and PTSC (51 per cent).
The non-self-propelled vessel will support operations at the Lac Da Vang (LDV) field located in Block 15-1/05 offshore Vietnam in partnership with Murphy Cuu Long Bac Oil, a wholly owned local subsidiary of US-based Murphy Oil Corporation.
Enhanced safety features coupled with low-emission systems
PTSC LDV has a length of 228.78 metres (750.59 feet), a moulded beam of 39 metres (130 feet), a draught of 5.4 metres (18 feet), a moulded depth of 21 metres (69 feet), a gross tonnage of 47,418, a total storage capacity of 500,000 barrels, and space for 20 crewmembers and 22 industrial and service personnel.
Yinson Production said the design of the FSO emphasises safety, operational excellence, and low-carbon emissions. A double-hulled configuration was therefore chosen to comply with international offshore operating and environmental standards.
The vessel has a rated processing capacity of 20,000 barrels per day and is equipped with an advanced external turret mooring system. PTSC said advanced dual-fuel systems will help optimise operational efficiency and substantially minimise carbon emissions during production.
The FSO’s diesel and freshwater tank capacities are 44.9 cubic metres (9,880 gallons) and 805.77 cubic metres (177,240 gallons), respectively.
Designed for near-uninterrupted operation
PTSC LDV was built at the facilities of China’s Nantong Titanwind Offshore in compliance with Singapore flag requirements as well as the class requirements of the American Bureau Shipping. OceanStar, which served as the project’s overall engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contractor, said the FSO was delivered within just 16 months from the cutting of the first steel in February 2025.
The FSO is scheduled to start providing storage and offloading operations within the LDV field in the fourth quarter of 2026. The contract for the vessel also has an option to extend for up to an additional five years.
PTSC said the FSO was designed to have a service life of 20 years without the need for drydocking, ensuring stable and continuous production operations under the LDV project.
