Bleo Holm
The ’Bleo Holm’ is the sixth Bluewater designed, built, owned and operated Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) installation. It is producing at the Ross, Parry and Blake Fields in the in UK sector of the North Sea for oil companies Talisman Energy and BG International.
In contrast to the previous five FPSOs, which were second-hand or newly built oil tankers converted to a FPSO, the Bleo Holm FPSO is based on a new dedicated FPSO hull. Constructed in 1997 at the Hitachi shipyard in Japan, the hull was based on the Glas Dowr’s tanker hull, adapted with a view to its prospective use as an FPSO.
Bleo Holm’s newly built hull, adapted to be finished off as an FPSO
The Bleo Holm’s hull was towed from Japan to the UIE offshore construction yard in Glasgow (Scotland) at the river Clyde for installation and integration of the Fluor Daniel designed topsides oil & gas processing modules. The accommodation block was under construction elsewhere in Scotland and was towed by barge to Glasgow for installation and integration on the vessel’s hull.
When FPSO Bleo Holm left the yard, the flare tower was laid down horizontally to make it possible to pass the river Clyde Bridge. Behind the bridge, the tower was re-erected to its final vertical position using on-board means.
Bleo Holm passing river Clyde Bridge
The vessel commenced operations in the first half of 1999 at the Ross & Parry Fields for Talisman Energy (UK) Ltd.
FPSO Bleo Holm
Production was suspended in March 2001 to allow onshore topside modifications to the Bleo Holm for tying in Blake Field. These modifications were completed and the vessel returned to the field for offshore hook-up ahead of the project schedule, allowing production to resume at the Ross & Parry fields near the end of June 2001 and to initiate first oil from the Blake field just two days later. The Blake field, operated by BG International, is located approximately 10 km from the Ross & Parry fields.
Currently the Bleo Holm is under bareboat charter to Talisman UK
Installation of topsides modules onto the Bleo Holm’s hull
FPSO Bleo Holm arriving at the Tyne river entrance
